The Terengganu state government has launched its own website that features news and goings-on in the state, said its information technology development adviser Mohd Shuhaimi Embong.

The website - called Titi.net.my (Titi being an acronym of Terengganu Islamic Trade and Info-Structure) - contains, amongst others, information on business, tourism, education, sports, recreation, state and private agencies, as well as small- and medium-sized industries in the state.

Shuhaimi said it is hoped that the portal will be the main reference centre for any search for information on Terengganu.

Since the opposition alliance, Barisan Alternatif captured the state in the 1999 general elections, the Barisan Nasional-controlled mainstream media have not given much positive publicity to the efforts of the Terengganu state government, said Suhaimi.

The website also provides free e-mail service, chatrooms, a search engine, forums and road maps.

"We are renting our servers at the moment but hopefully we will get our own soon," he said, adding that a study on the website's popularity is yet to be carried out.

Digital divide

Shuhaimi also said that the state government's information technology (IT) target is "One kampung, one computer".

"In the town areas, such as Kuala Terengganu, the people are already aware of the role and importance of IT but in the rural areas, we have to educate them from scratch," said Shuhaimi, who added that there are about 50 cybercafes in the two districts of Kuala Terengganu and Marang alone.

However, there are only 60 computer shops and four systems integrators in the whole of Terengganu. The state, which is largely made up of rural areas, has hundreds of villages and the illiteracy rate is still high.

"At present, we are educating the Jawatankuasa Syura Rakyat (state-appointed village committee) members to be IT-literate. It is a slow process as there is a big digital divide between the urban and rural areas. We are still at the beginning stage," said Shuhaimi, who has 15 years of experience in the IT field.

Shuhaimi said the state government has also started a "Cyberkid" programme targetting children.

Early this month, Terengganu Chief Minister Abdul Hadi Awang had stated that by embracing IT, the state might be able to pave the way for an 'East Coast multimedia corridor'.