Pusat internet telah ditubuhkan oleh kerajaan di seluruh negara sebagai salah satu usaha untuk memperkasa sistem komunikasi serta tahap sosioekonomi dan merapatkan jurang digital antara komuniti bandar dan luar bandar. Bagi masyarakat luar bandar yang menghadapi halangan berhubung kebolehcapaian dan pemilikan internet serta gadget, pusat internet yang kebanyakannya terletak di lokasi tertentu menjadi tumpuan bukan sahaja dalam kalangan pelajar, malah para pekerja serta penduduk kampung. Penularan pandemik COVID-19 yang melanda masyarakat telah melonjakkan lagi kepentingan komunikasi alam maya ekoran Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) yang telah membataskan komunikasi dan transaksi secara konvensional. Makalah ini diusahakan untuk mengkaji fungsi dan implikasi pusat internet terhadap masyarakat luar bandar semasa pandemik COVID-19 berlaku, khususnya di daerah Kudat, Pitas dan Kota Marudu yang terletak dalam zon Pantai Barat Utara, Sabah. Gabungan kaedah pemerhatian, soal selidik dan temu bual diaplikasikan bagi mendapatkan data primer bersifat kuantitatif dan kualitatif yang melibatkan seramai 133 responden dan 13 informan terdiri dalam kalangan pengurus serta pekerja di pusat internet, pelajar sekolah, Giatmara dan universiti, guru sekolah dan KAFA, kakitangan kerajaan serta swasta dan ketua serta penduduk kampung. Penemuan kajian mendapati fungsi pusat internet tidak menyerlah dalam kalangan masyarakat luar bandar khususnya semasa pelaksanaan PKP. Tambahan lagi, terdapat dalam kalangan masyarakat yang belum sedar tentang keberadaan serta lokasi pusat internet di daerah masing-masing. Di samping itu, bilangan yang terhad dan lokasi yang jauh dari petempatan penduduk kampung menyebabkan pusat internet tidak dapat berfungsi sewajarnya sebagai medium komunikasi komuniti. Kajian ini turut menyarankan beberapa langkah penyelesaian bagi mengatasi kemelut berhubung internet. Diharapkan kertas kerja ini dapat menjadi pemangkin kepada usaha untuk memperkasakan komunikasi alam maya atau mewujudkan komuniti digital khususnya dalam kalangan masyarakat luar bandar.
The internet centre has been established by the government throughout the country as an effort to strengthen the communication system as well as the socioeconomic level and also to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural communities. For rural communities facing restrictions pertaining to internet accessibility and gadget, the internet centre which mostly located at certain locations has become a centre of attraction among students, employees and villagers. The COVID-19 pandemic that swept the community has boosted the importance of virtual communications due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) that has restrained conventional communication and transactions. This paper has been undertaken to study the functions and implications of the internet centre among rural communities during the COVID-19 pandemic particularly in Kudat, Pitas and Kota Marudu districts which are located at the Northwest Coast zone of Sabah. A combination of participant observation, survey and in-depth interview were applied to obtain quantitative and qualitative primary data involving 133 respondents and 13 informants comprising of managers and employees at the internet centre; secondary, university and Giatmara students; KAFA teachers; government and private employees and also the villagers. The findings showed that the internet centre was not standing out or functioning well among the rural communities especially during the MCO. In addition, some villagers did not aware of the existence and location of internet centre at their respective areas. In addition, the limitation in terms of quantity and distance or location of the internet centre has contributed and resulted towards its malfunction as a medium of communication among the rural communities. The study suggests several solutions to overcome the internet crisis pertaining to internet centre among the rural communities. It is hoped that this paper will become a catalyst in an effort to empower virtual communications or create a digital community particularly among rural communities.
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