KUCHING: The science, technology and innovation ministry (MOSTI) and the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) is liaising with the Rural and Regional Development, and Urban Well-being, housing and local government ministries to identify more remote villages to be provided with solar energy.
ASM chief operating officer Hazami Habib said MOSTI and ASM needed the assistance of the two ministries to identify villages which needed the facilities.
She said Malaysia had all the advantages of exploiting renewable energy such as solar, wind, wave power and biomass that could mitigate its dependence on fossil fuel.
Hazami said the use of solar energy would help to enhance the economic development of the community, especially among the rural poor.
“The idea is, when they have access to energy, they can do small businesses, like cottage industries, to improve their standard of living,” she told Bernama here today.
She said the funding would come from MOSTI, which would provide the technology, generator sets and solar antennas, and educate the villagers on how to maintain the set.--BERNAMA