KUCHING, 8 January, 2021 – The Ministry of Local Government and Housing (MLGH) in collaboration with the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) has begun the installation of 800 CCTVs across 200 sites in Greater Kuching under the Smart City digital economic sector agenda.

This is an aspiration of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s Digital Economy agenda to accelerate Sarawak economic growth via the Smart City concept. In addition, urban dwellers will have improved quality of life amidst a sustainable green environment.

Within this concept, a key enabler is the digitalisation of urban areas whereby all forms of data are centralised for robust planning and timely execution of essential services. In this regard, the Sarawak Integrated Operations Center (SIOC) acts as the command center.

The CCTVs, located in the areas of Majlis Bandaraya Kuching Selatan (MBKS), Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU), Majlis Perbandaran Padawan and Majlis Perbandaran Kota Samarahan, will feed SIOC with real-time footages and data on a 24/7 year round basis.

In so doing, the CCTV network will create a safe environment for the community in terms of crime and vandalism prevention, early flood warnings and securing assets close to the respective CCTV sites.

‘The copious amount of data generated from the CCTV network will contribute to the state’s Big Data strategic initiative’ explained Dr. Zaidi Razak. ‘As a result, the innovative use of such Big Data will expedite Sarawak’s digital transformation journey’.