Melaka's Digital Village Initiative Improves Mail Delivery, Gains Positive Response

MELAKA, Jan 10 (Bernama) – The adaptation of traditional villages into digital villages under the Melaka Digital Village (KDM) initiative is having a positive impact on residents, especially after implementing a digital address system that has resulted in more accurate mail and parcel deliveries.

Tanjung Minyak Village Development and Security Committee chairman (JPKK) or village head Kamal Bawker said despite initial concerns, residents have now embraced it with enthusiasm following proven results.

"When our village was selected for this project, we were worried it might cause difficulties, but Alhamdulillah, the system is very easy to use. Many agencies including the district office have been helpful in providing explanations," he told Bernama in an interview.

The initiative, which has received RM3.37 million in funding, aims to address the issue of unclear and unstructured house addresses in 623 traditional villages in the state by leveraging geospatial mapping technology and QR codes to create a modern and systematic addressing system.

It is also a pilot project of the National Address System (NAS), a federal initiative that would be the single addressing system and the primary reference recognised by the government, managing over 12 million addresses nationwide via close cooperation among various stakeholders.

Kamal, who has lived in Kampung Tanjung Minyak for 50 years, attested to the accuracy of the system despite changes to some street names in order to make it more systematic.

Since October 2024, some 372 of his fellow residents have received and affixed quick response (QR) code stickers on their homes, with most having already tried using the system.

"We hope that in the future, the QR code stickers will be improved to be more weather-resistant, as the current stickers are thin and can easily tear or get damaged in the rain," said Kamal.

Another resident, Ramli Dollah, a 65-year-old retired military officer, also praised the initiative, noting that it greatly helps ensure that letters, utility bills and parcels are delivered to the correct addresses.

He pointed out that before the digital system, delivery personnel often faced issues like mismatched names on identification cards, incomplete addresses or undeliverable streets.

"This system is very helpful, and I believe the name changes for the streets do not cause any issues since they are now standardised across various agencies," said Ramli.

The initiative has also received recognition from the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM) and trademark certification, positioning it as a model for digital villages across the country.

In addition to Kampung Tanjung Minyak, the pilot project for NAS also includes Kampung Paya Rumput, Kampung Bukit Kecil Pernu and Kampung Tun Razak in the Melaka Tengah district.

In the Alor Gajah district, it covers Kampung Pulau, Kampung Seri Jeram, Kampung Felda Hutan Percha, Kampung Baru Cina Machap Baru, Kampung Sungai Jernih and Kampung Lekok.

Meanwhile, Kampung Lipat Kajang, Kampung Tersusun Datuk Mohd Hidhir, Kampung Seri Kesang and Kampung Kesang Jaya are involved in the Jasin district.

Previously, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil stated that the funding of RM3.37 million for the Melaka Digital Village development demonstrates the government's commitment to fully supporting the transformation efforts of 623 traditional villages in the state.

He said that the ministry, through MCMC, is willing to assist the state government in realising the national vision of ensuring that every household has a complete and standardised address.

-- BERNAMA