I am so happy to be with all of you to put into official use the office buildings of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. I would like to take this opportune moment to correct what Minister Tram Iv Toek had just mentioned about number of my visits to this place. He said I first came here in 2000 and again today. According to my memory, I first came to put into official use the Intersputnik satellite in 1980s when HE Tia Banh was the Minister. I came back to see the satellite again when it needed a screw or something. I have been here at least four times.
From Being Commissions to Ministries
I am so happy that at the initiative of former Minister Prak Sokhon, who now has become Minister of Foreign Affairs, the office building of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication is here. In fact, the Posts and Telecommunication, was not apart of the People’s Revolutionary Council of Kampuchea, which came into being on 8 January 1979 after the country’s liberation from the genocide. In those days, all institutions were under the management of what we called the Ministry of Economy and Livelihood. When we liberated the country, at the initial operation of country’s management, we came to understanding that there were needs for more professional institutions. We then created various commissions that had become later various ministries concerned.
The commission on agriculture, then led by HE Noeu Samom, had become the Ministry of Agriculture. The commission on commerce, then led by HE Taing Sarim, had become the Ministry of Commerce. The commission on industry, then led by HE Meas Samnang, had become the Ministry of Industry. The commission on Transports and Communication, led by HE Khun Chhi, had become the Ministry itself. Later, there were more commissions like those involving with social affairs and veteran affairs […]
Telecommunications in Its Initial Stage and Present Development
It was until the fifth legislative term Royal Government, HE Prak Sokhon became Minister of Posts and Telecommunication. As we need HE Prak Sokhon for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have moved HE Tram Iv Toek to take his place […] I am conveying my sincere thanks and appreciation to the efforts made by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications to go through the most difficult time of the country. I could recall that we then had only two-digit telephone and for use only by some leaders. It was hard to get a connection on the line. We also had to go through a call centre to get a connection to those phones in provinces. It all depends on the person who was in charge of transferring connecting calls.
We had to go through so many difficulties to get Intersputnik satellite in place and we had to go to the world through the former Soviet Union. We use intersputnik connection to France and to outside world. We have made so much effort to get to the present development of Posts and Telecommunications. I wish to talk more about telecommunications that Minister HE Tram Iv Toek had brought up. You may look at the figure of SIM cards in use there are 19 million of it. The number is even higher than our population.
Cambodia – No Dumping Ground of Outdated Technology
I am so proud of my policy and my statement that Cambodia is no dumping ground of outdated technology of any sorts. I said it in 1980s when the former Eastern European countries were wishing to sell us old technologies when they were going for newer ones. Take for instance, the direct broadcast van of National TV we had to make a hole for air-conditioner. It was cheap but soon we could not even find its spare parts. I then made a statement that Cambodia was no dumping ground of anyone’s outdated technology. Even when Oknha Kit Meng signed an agreement in Paris to bring in Alcatel from France, I still suggested that Cambodia is in need of latest technology.
Cambodia Should Have a Satellite of Its Own
… No matter how much progress we have made, we still depend on numerous infrastructures around us. However, I hope that with the soon coming fibre optic cable undersea, we will make another big step ahead. More so, I am suggesting for a thought on flying a Cambodian own satellite. I would say Oknha Kit Meng should find a partner with whom they can bring up a satellite for local demand of our country. I think it will be profitable. Many TV stations that were using other country’s satellite are swapping to using ours. There will be more demands in the future. In fact, I thought about having satellite for the country since 1990s. However, we had so many steps to go through. There is now a growing demand for hi-speed internet access […]
Information Technology Awareness
I have put out a policy that anyone appointed to a post must be aware of information technology. Everyone needs to learn it and/or to know how to use it. It helps shorten works from days to just minutes or seconds. To have access to a report in a province, we no long wait for the report to travel from there to Phnom Penh to learn what is inside. We could receive it through mails carried by Line, Whatsapp, Viber, Telegram, etc. It is true we cannot make decision on these paradigms but we could get the content of the report through them. It also comes handy with pictures […]
In these recent years, I have had this habit of working with my face down and another with my face up. On daytime, I am going through papers and giving my instruction in written form on papers. I have had to sit with my face looking down. At night, I write stuff in note of my smart phones before sending to intended person/s. I also had drafted my working day with it. It saves me a lot of time. In former days, I had to write it on paper and bring it to someone to type it. Now I did it myself. Technology is advanced and people need to know how to use it. That is why I have made awareness of information technology criteria. However, I believe in our people, especially our youth, who have gained knowledge of information technology and use it effectively […]
E-People
… What we need to do now is to increase capacity of information technology in Cambodia through all means. We have used terms e-government, e-commerce, etc. What I think we need the most now is e-people. To acquire that and to use it effectively and efficiently we need a fast-speed internet. We will soon have undersea optical fibre cable connected (19 December) linking Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia. Please speed it up. In fact, it has been my experience that in some countries, I could not get even an SMS sent. In our country, wireless mobile telecommunications technology 4G has been a great help.
Asked Pacquiao Two Things
I think it is about this much I should talk. Yesterday I spent a whole day in hosting President of the Philippines. The meeting was fruitful. It was good there was also a presence of the great boxer. In our official talk, I said to Pacquiao in the presence of President of the Philippines that I extended invitation to him to come to Cambodia on two things – firstly, making appeal to people regarding drug when we are launching our anti-drug campaign, and secondly, regarding traffic safety. In older day, we have used Hollywood actor Jackie Chan for traffic safety ads. I have kept in mind to say to Pacquiao about my thought and many other people’s thoughts that he is the number one and not the number two in world boxing […]
It is a controversial issue and many are still not satisfied (with the arbitration decision), the Americans themselves too. Well, that said, I do not have any discontent with Floyd Mayweather. He would not know. It was up to the arbitrators […] Along with the inauguration of the office buildings of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication please allow me to wish you all the four Buddhist blessings for the coming 2017 year./.
