KOTA BHARU: Just like a song and melody that are closely intertwined, dikir barat (a unique traditional musical art form popular in Kelantan) holds a special place in the hearts of the denizens of this east coast state.
Not having staged any live performance for nearly two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Sanggar Budaya Geng Wak Long dikir barat group finally had the chance to perform in front of an audience on Oct 31 as part of Radio Televisyen Malaysia’s (RTM) Selamat Pagi Malaysia programme that was aired live nationwide that Sunday morning.
The programme’s recording took place at Kem Putra, Kampung Chengal in Ketereh, here. Also present there was the special guest for the programme Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa(pix).
The dikir barat show was thoroughly entertaining even though standard operating procedures were in place to check the transmission of Covid-19.
“This is the first time my group is performing live since March last year following the enforcement of MCO (Movement Control Order). We are all so happy to perform again,” said lead vocalist or Tok Jogho, Mohamad Zuraidi Sufian, 28, who performed with 12 other members of his group.
Mohd Fadil Mohd Noor, 39, who is also known as Fadil Turbo and is the group’s Tukang Karut or jester, said the easing of movement controls has allowed the state’s dikir barat groups to be active again and continue with their task of upholding the cultural art form as a platform to deliver social messages to society.
During the MCO, Mohamad Zuraidi – better known as Die Kencana – and Mohd Fadil and the rest of their team tried to keep their art alive by making video recordings of their dikir barat presentations and posting them on social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube.
“In addition to practising during the pandemic, we used digital technology to uphold the popularity of dikir barat. Our videos received encouraging response from netizens,” added Mohd Fadil.
As local cultural groups turn to digital technology to keep their art forms relevant, the business community here is also learning to embrace e-commerce platforms to boost their incomes.
On Oct 31, Annuar, who is also Member of Parliament for Ketereh, launched the #SayaDigitalKeluargaMalaysiaParlimen Ketereh@NegeriKelantan programme, which is part of a nationwide tour organised by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to popularise e-commerce among entrepreneurs.
The minister said more than 200,000 entrepreneurs nationwide have been involved in the #SayaDigitalKeluargaMalaysia programme since its launch last year.
“We are targeting a bigger number (of participants) because we want to make sure that all traders, even those who trade on the roadside, participate in this e-commerce concept,” he said, adding that these efforts would ensure there is no digital divide among the small, medium and even micro-entrepreneurs.
Ice cream vendor Norlina Mat Noor, 40, is among the entrepreneurs here who benefited from taking their businesses online. Norlina told Bernama she used to sell ice cream at night markets but was forced to stop trading following the enforcement of the MCO.
“I then went online and now I can sell up to 1,000 boxes of aiskrim potong (popsicles) a month. Now my husband (Ardie Musmadi Che Mamat, 41) and I are focusing on marketing our product via e-commerce platforms,” she said.
Cake and pastry seller Ruhasni Ismail, 51, shared that 90 percent of her products are marketed online and that the response from customers has been encouraging.
“I’ve never had a shop. I bake my cakes and pastries at home and sell them online,” said the entrepreneur, adding that she has been receiving guidance from MDEC since 2015 and that the agency has been providing instructors to train traders here to conduct online businesses.
Nik Samsiah Nik Soh, 49, who operates a canteen at a primary school here, said it was easy for her to learn about e-commerce as she has good instructors to show her the ropes, as well as stable Internet access.
“Programmes such as #SayaDigitalKeluargaMalaysia have opened the door wider for us (small entrepreneurs) to learn, understand and subsequently master digital technology,” she added.
Annuar, meanwhile, has been quoted as saying that the government plans to have 1,000 Malaysian Family Digital Economy Centres (PEDi) operating throughout the country by the end of next year to intensify efforts to transform the modus operandi of rural entrepreneurs.
The existing 600 to 800 PEDi nationwide, formerly known as Community Internet Centres, would also be upgraded. The rebranded PEDi serve as one-stop centres to guide micro-entrepreneurs to harness digital technology.
To enhance the application of e-commerce among micro, small and medium enterprises, the government will increase its allocation for the SME Business Digitalisation Grant to RM200 million in 2022. A total of RM50 million from this allocation will be set aside for rural bumiputera micro-entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, the Communications and Multimedia Ministry has identified three aspects of the broadband ecosystem that must be focused on to ensure the availability of good Internet access throughout the country, including rural areas.
The first aspect involves the provision of adequate infrastructure to ensure a broadband speed of at least 35 megabits per second (Mbps) to connect to a 4G network.
“That is the benchmark to measure whether a location has access of that level, not only (Internet) coverage but 4G coverage,” Annuar said at the launch of the #SayaDigitalKeluargaMalaysiaParlimen Ketereh@NegeriKelantan programme.
The minister said the second aspect that has to be focused on is ensuring that suitable and affordable devices are made available to all the people, including the poor.
“As such, I have introduced the Malaysian Family device package at a subscription fee of RM40 which comes with a free 4G compatible device.”
The third aspect involves the application of digital technology to generate an income.
“For this, we have introduced the #SayaDigital movement to encourage and provide skills to the people, including rural folks, to use the available facilities.
“In fact, they are assured of making some income by participating in e-commerce and the digital economy,” the minister added.
Source: https://www.thesundaily.my/home/familiarising-traders-with-e-commerce-to-boost-income-levels-BY8551012