Rokiah Mahmud
The Ministry of Development (MoD) has a priority in developing and implementing smart infrastructure management to head off potential problems before they become a public danger.
Permanent Secretary (Infrastructure, Housing and Professional) at the MoD Ir Haji Amer Hishamuddin bin Pehin Orang Kaya Amar Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Zakaria outlined the ministry’s goals on smart technology and the Internet-of-Things (IoT) in a keynote address during the 50th Golden Jubilee of the Department of Town and Country Planning (TCP). “Using smart sensors, disasters can be avoided with real-time monitoring and early detection,” said the permanent secretary.
“Agencies can receive real-time alerts and issue work orders automatically to expedite the resolution of any problems with critical infrastructure assets.
“With early detection, corrective actions can be taken before the problem sets in and at a fraction of the cost of having to, for example, rebuild a collapsed bridge.”
“More importantly, having all these smart projects will lead to a high quality of living for the people such as less water disruptions, less flooding, no collapsed bridge causing inconvenience, as well as to manage our resources sustainably,” said Ir Haji Amer Hishamuddin.
“Last month, the Government signed a contract with DST Networks to implement the Unified Smart Metering System (USMS), which will use digital technology and smart electricity and water meters.
“This allows consumers to monitor their electricity and water usage more closely and have clear visibility over personal consumption habits on utility and energy.
“This also allows informed decisions on energy and water consumption, which can lead to smarter financial management of utility expenses. In the coming years, we will be able to see more digital transformation going on,” he said.
Meanwhile, “In the planning space, TCP should begin looking into using ‘digital twins’ as a tool for more effective land use planning,” said the permanent secretary, referring to the term used for virtual modelling based on real-time data.
“Digital twins will allow the Planning Authority to test different scenarios virtually and come to the best options, for example impacts on traffic, wind circulation and temperatures and so on,” he added.
“Several government agencies have started testing IoT technologies, to monitor the environment, building and infrastructure. It is hoped that Brunei can, in the near future, achieve the target of being a Smart Nation. However, we can only be a Smart Nation if everybody uses smart technology to make the quality of our lives better.”
