Zurinah Tahir

Telecenters in the Development of the Smart Village (SV): Cybergogy for Multicultural Transformation

Cybergogy which is made available via telecenters in rural Malaysia has the potential to produce a knowledgeable community that is the foundation of a Smart Village (SV). By 2007, Malaysia had more than two thousand telecentres that served as vehicles for the development of SVs. The telecenters’ three operational units are the Mini Rural Transformation Center (mini RTC), the 1Malaysia Internet Center and the Rural Internet Centre. Learning undertaken in rural internet centers since 2015 has emphasized the Bridging Digital Divide (BDD) Program that involves the use of the computer and the Internet. Internet Centers are paying more attention to the transformation of the culture and thinking of the rural population to achieve a hybrid economy that melds social economy with online business. The method of learning that is adopted is cybergogy, which valueadds the elements of peeragogy and synergy. The present study poses the question as to the extent cybergogy effected through the Mini RTC telecenter has brought about a multicultural transformation in a smart community (SC). This study also examines the effects of cybergogy as implemented in Malaysia, based on world views as well as on knowledge and practices adopted by rural SCs in SVs. The results are modest in terms of achievements in the SC. An explanation for this limited success is that cybergogy at telecenters has received only moderate reception Keywords— Cybergogy; Telecenter; Smart Village; Multicultural; Transformation

UNDERSTANDING LOCAL AUTHORITY PERFORMANCE THROUGH ROLE THEORY

Local government performance is frequently interpreted through stakeholders’ satisfaction measured by statistical analyses. Apart from testing the relationship, the perception of satisfaction on services provided is further influenced by the degree of expectation being met, and understanding the customer behaviour. Thus, this study attempts to explore an alternative explanation on the character of the local authority (LA) and put in perspective through the comprehension of the role theory. This was an exploratory case study on Kulim Hi-tech Local Authority, Malaysia. The mixed method approaches were firstly carried out by questionnaire surveys, followed by interviewing stakeholders and ended with site observations. Descriptive analyses were applied to the random samples. Findings showed that the LA has executed its roles of control and collect very well. However, it did not fare well in the role of publish.