Surfs Up Now, As NADI On Wheels Brings Internet Access To Flood Victims At PPS

KUANTAN, Dec 20 (Bernama) -- The NADI on Wheels (NOW) mobile service centre, which has been stationed at the temporary relief centre (PPS) at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Bukit Setongkol here since yesterday, has brought sunshine with improved internet access for flood victims.

NOW is being deployed to the PPS through the initiative of the Prime Minister's political secretary Datuk Ahmad Farhan Fauzi, together with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) through the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI).

MCMC stated that among the services provided to flood victims at the PPS are free internet facilities, basic health screenings, and NADI Smart Service Programme activities tailored to the needs of the community in transition.

“This initiative aims to ensure that victims remain connected, obtain accurate information, and can continue to transact important matters even in a disaster situation.

“Starting yesterday, NOW services have been deployed to the PPS at SK Bukit Setongkol to assist flood victims in terms of digital access and community-based support,” the statement said.

NOW, equipped with Starlink satellites, portable solar power, laptops, tablets, projectors and free Wi-Fi access, plays a welcome relief as a mobile service centre that brings technology facilities directly to the field, in this case, the PPS.

According to MCMC, this approach ensures that digital access can be maintained, thus supporting the well-being of the dislocated evacuees.

NOW is an initiative under MCMC which functions as a mobile service platform to provide internet access to the community directly in the field, for the vulnerable groups who need emotional support, to make lost contact with loved ones far away, especially those out country.

A flood victim, R Sivaranjini, 30, who lives in Cenderawasih here, said the NOW initiative has facilitated her communication with her husband who works in Singapore.

“Every day I make video calls to my husband to inform him of our situation here and while there are internet interruptions, probably because many people sheltering at the PPS use it at the same time, but after having NOW yesterday, internet access is smooth and not blocked anymore,” she told Bernama.

For the young and restless, NOW is the perfect getaway from the monotony of isolation in a PPS, as student Muhammad Aidil Izham Shahrom, 15, attests that the NOW facility has provided faster internet access for users.

“Stable internet makes it easier for us to get the latest information about the floods as well as to surf online games,” he said.

--BERNAMA