Declassified documents are welcomed at the Penang Digital Library: Guan Eng

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government is open to the proposal of documents declassified under the Freedom of Information Enactment 2012 (FOI) be hosted at the Penang Digital Library (PDL).
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (pix) said he welcomed the suggestion posed by the media during a press conference after launching the PDL in Jalan Masjid Negeri today.
He however pointed out his administration was limited and hampered by the lack of human resources and expertise.
He said not having the capacity and the human talent to implement such a move was an obstacle in moving forward.
He also listed the concern of the declassified documents hosted at PDL may be hacked and information changed as another worry.
He said it was not only a matter of getting the right person but also appointing the right person for the right job.
“To be frank with you, our existing department resources cannot cope,” he added and welcomed those with the relevant knowledge to join his government.
The RM3 million PDL is housed in a restored and refurbished 4,000 square feet bungalow located at the Penang Free School (PFS) grounds and currently hosts 3,000 e-books.
The building was last used as a Puspanita centre and was originally the official residence of the PFS headmaster after the property was built in 1924.
In his speech at the launch, Lim thanked developer E&O Berhad for contributing RM1 million to the restoration works and technology company Keysight Technologies for providing technical assistance.
He said the PDL was an initiative to make Penang a Centre of Excellence (COE) for STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education.
“This is one of the pillars for moving Penang forward into the digital revolution,’ he said.