Malaysia-Indonesia regional telecentres: In search of appropriate multi-purpose community telecentres (MCT)

This paper takes a critical look at the development of appropriate multipurpose community telecentres (MCT) in bridging the digital divide between urban and rural areas in Indonesia and Malaysia. The success of developing the MCT in the villages of Kampung Parit Tengah, Johor, Malaysia and Desa Cihideung, Bandung, Indonesia was attributable to the application of the intelligent collaboration (CQ) and organisational collaboration (CO) approaches. Both MCTs denoted the possibility of achieving four Key Performance Indices (KPI), namely, the sustained will, participation,commitment and cooperation of the local public in using the telecentres. Both had proven that the CQ and CO methods work because of the very elements of cooperation of all parties concerned – local public, community leaders, the state, the NGOs and the private sector. Their achievement lights up the hope that the rural digital divide can be bridged. Indeed, with MCTs acting as catalysts to widespread digital opportunities there is every possibility for futher ICT adaptation, assimilation, diffusion and innovation among the rural dwellers of both Malaysia and Indonesia.