In May 2004, MCHJV had set up two ICT Centres in Belaga town and Sungai Asap as part of its community programme initiative towards the indigenous people who were affected by the Bakun Hydroelectric dam project.

These centres have been well equipped with Internet lines, personal computers and other reading material for the benefit of the local community.

Recently, in July 2005, MCHJV organised a website-designing training programme for its key administrators who have been managing the ICT Centres. The 5-day training programme was conducted at Sedamai College in Bintulu, from 11 to 15 July, 2005.

During the training programme, participants learned to use Flash-5, Microsoft FrontPage and other basic tools to create a website.

According to the four participants, Irwandi Khirrudin Mohamad Rijal and Dayang Sabariah Awang Sepuan from Belaga, and Morin Aing and Jane Kiong from Sungai Asap, “the training programme gives us the opportunity to learn more about IT and Internet and hopefully, more training as such can be conducted in future”.

Added their training instructor, Ms. Ngoy Bin Bin, “the participants showed deep interest in learning and readily applied what they learned when asked to create a website of their own at the end of the training session”.

In managing their respective ICT Resource Centre, the administrators are now better able to put into action the various skills related to using the Internet. This will certainly help the communities in Belaga and Sungai Asap to enjoy greater Internet accessibility and communications. Prior to the training, a survey was carried out to determine the community's interest and preference in IT learning.

In addition, MCHJV is also encouraging them to create websites that can promote and sell local produce, handicrafts and tourism through the internet to generate extra income for the communities.

In light of this initiative, MCHJV will also organise a website designing competition which is open to all communities in Belaga and Sungai Asap.