Technology application by local authorities can enhance delivery of public services, says Chang

CYBERJAYA: Technology for solid waste management, camera monitoring systems for illegal waste disposal sites and smart city management are among the local technologies that can be applied at the local authority level (PBT) to enhance public service delivery, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang.

He said this was because there was a need to increase the level of technology application at the PBT level to ensure the comfort and welfare of the people.

“The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry has targeted 20 local technologies to be commercialised and implemented at the PBT level by 2025,” he said after a technology sharing session with companies under the MOSTI ecosystem and a Perak PBT delegation here on Thursday (Feb 22).

Chang said similar technology sharing sessions would also be held with other state PBTs so that they could select and apply the necessary technology to address local issues.

He said that besides offering local technology to address local challenges, the effort would also provide opportunities for local innovation companies to promote and commercialise their services at the government agency level.

The delegation was led by the State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Sandrea Ng Shy Ching, who visited the offices of the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (Might) and the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) to gain exposure to technology for the use of local authorities.

Ng said that local authorities had extensive and highly complex responsibilities that needed to be aligned with different expectations from the people.

“It is indeed the commitment of local authorities to constantly strive to solve existing problems and also to improve the quality of services.

“Local authorities are also heavily involved in infrastructure development, urban planning and so on.

“Through today’s visit, we hope it will bring significant changes to solve the daily problems of the people,” she said, adding that cooperation with the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry was highly welcomed.

Earlier, Chang and Ng, along with the delegation, also visited the strawberry planting project, Coolgrow, at Might, which was operated by Wasave Sdn Bhd.

The project was a collaboration between Might and Wasave, marking a significant achievement in Might’s goals to address contemporary energy efficiency, climate change, food security and smart city challenges, including providing alternative solutions. – BK