MDeC and partners launch tech-enabled campaign to aid flood victims

  • Various communities pitch into harness technology to aid recovery initiatives
  • eBB platform to deploy open data, social media, IoT, crowdsourced funding, etc.
MDeC and partners launch tech-enabled campaign to aid flood victims

WITH Malaysia having suffered its worst floods in recorded history, which have left some 200,000 people homeless, national ICT custodian the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) has taken the lead to launch the ‘#TogetherWithU’ or ‘#BersamaMu’ community campaign to aid in the flood-recovery process.
 
MDeC launched the campaign with the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia and communities from the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC Malaysia), Digital Malaysia, technology and creative content providers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and affiliated government ministries and agencies.
 
The core of this campaign is the e-Bantuan Banjir (Flood Aid) or eBB platform, an integrated mobile-enabled system that incorporates open data, social media, the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analytics with crowdsourced funding and volunteer platforms for individuals and corporations to donate resources.
 
The public can access the eBB platform via www.togetherwithu.my and via a free mobile app with the same name currently available on Android, and on iOS in the near future, MDeC said in a statement.
 
MDeC also oversees MSC Malaysia, a government project to boost the ICT industry in the country; and is the lead agency for Digital Malaysia, a programme that aims to transform the nation into a fully developed digital economy.
 
MDeC and partners launch tech-enabled campaign to aid flood victims“Like all Malaysians, we feel for the flood victims. MDeC’s #TogetherWithU/ ‘#BersamaMu’ campaign integrates the various key communities across the country to make a difference,” said MDeC chief executive officer Yasmin Mahmood (pic).
 
“This complements the numerous initiatives from both the public and private sectors to help our affected citizens start rebuilding their lives,” she added.
 
Under the eBB initiative, MDeC said it is leveraging on technology from the MSC Malaysia community and other technology providers to provide solutions to assist in the flood-recovery process.
 
This includes an integration of data points from various private and public sector sources, including real-time drone images to be integrated into the eBB portal via IoT and social media feeds.
 
The drones will collect data mapping and multiple photos of the floods through imaging to identify terrain situations, stitched together using big data analytics, MDeC said.

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MDeC has also joined forces with NGOs such as Mercy Malaysia, MyWin Academy and Persatuan Orang Kota Bahru to donate money and resources.
 
“We applaud MDeC’s integrated approach to bring hope to the flood victims and help to rebuild their lives,” said Mercy Malaysia executive director Ahmad Faezal Mohamed.
 
“The cutting-edge technology that MDeC is driving with the help of its communities will undoubtedly complement our efforts to help with the post-flood rebuilding process,” he added.
 
While individual donations below RM50 are channelled to the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia-Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Tabung Kemanusiaan SMS platform, donations above RM50 are channelled to the PitchIN.my crowdsourcing platform.
 
Corporate donations from MSC Malaysia and Digital Malaysia companies and communities via direct MDeC engagements have so far raised RM250,000 (US$71,000), the national ICT custodian said.
 
The eBB platform also accommodates community support via the eSukarelawan website (www.esukarelawan.org) and a mobile application which will be available next week, built to capture and match volunteers from the MSC Malaysia and Digital Malaysia communities to the respective NGOs for post-flood rebuilding tasks.
 
The mobile app allows volunteers to communicate on-the-ground happenings to a central online community tagboard, MDeC said.
 
To tie all these together, the creative content community including companies such as Animonsta Studios, Animasia Animation Studio, Les Copaque Production, Inspidea Animation Studios Malaysia and Wau Animation have stepped forward to provide creative content and animation to create awareness and hope for the flood victims, especially children.
 
Through multiple media platforms – TV, Digital and Web – and via public service animation announcements, infographics, web graphics, mascot appearances and comics, the initiative aims to educate children to stay safe, as well as to boost hope and cheer up the victims of the disaster in the process of rebuilding their lives together, MDeC said.
 
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