By NOOR SYAHHIRA HADY and NEVILLE TIMOTHY SANDERS
KUCHING: Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak (MAIS) is embarking on digitising its work processes in light of the digital transformation outlined under the Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS 2030).
In stating this, Minister in the Premier’s Department Datuk John Sikie Tayai pointed out that MAIS’ archive stores an invaluable treasure of research materials and oral traditions collected by various researchers, past and present consisting of physical journals and analog media such as cassettes and VHS tape recordings.
“As such, in 2020, MAIS has successfully digitised 4,856 units of analog media as Digital Surrogates inside the Cataloguing Of Oral Traditions System (COOTS) to preserve those research materials and oral traditions on a digital platform, thus ensuring the availability and continuity for current and future research activities by generations to come,” he said.
He said this in his winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Tuesday (Nov 29).
He disclosed that in 2021, MAIS also embarked on a project to redevelop the Native Marriage Electronic System (NAMES) through the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
“This is in line with our PCDS 2030 Digital Transformation Plan under the Digital Government Services.
“Through this project, NAMES services will be available to the public in 2023 to apply for Adat Marriage Pre-Registration on Sarawak Government Portal using Sarawak ID.
“NAMES will also be integrated with the relevant government agency’s system to enhance interoperability and data verification operations,” he said.
NAMES is one of the three systems that register marriages and divorces in Sarawak.
It was developed in 2010 in an effort to centralise the registration and issuance of Adat Marriage and Adat Divorce certificates.
It was deployed throughout Sarawak in 2012 and its current users consist of 45 District Offices and 21 Sub-District Offices statewide.
