KOTA KINABALU: Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan now have a TV channel that airs local content.

Launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last night, TV OKEY will not only air local content specifically on Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, it also serves as a platform for those from the two states and Labuan to showcase their talents as well as creativity.

Najib in his speech said TV OKEY would be useful to disseminate news and messages to the people as well as to develop the creative industry.

“There are many talented people in Sabah and Sarawak and they can showcase what they are good at through this new TV channel. We can develop and polish their skills as well as creativity,” he said, adding that creativity is part of the Malaysian government’s NKEA where it hopes to create 10,000 jobs with a revenue of RM3.04 billion by 2020.

Najib pointed out that local television programmes like ‘Upin dan Ipin’ had received international recognition from all over the world including Latin America, South America, the United States, Ireland and Indonesia.

Sabah and Sarawak will now have more airtime for the states’ specific contents and the programme will focus on the grassroots so that they can voice their aspirations and feelings.

In the past, only the Kadazan and Iban language have airtime on radio but now with TV OKEY, other dialects will also have their share of airtime.

“Sabah and Sarawak, with their multi ethnicity, are the best example of the social cohesiveness of Malaysians and this is a tie that no one can undo,” he said.

Also present at the launching were Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, his Sarawakian counterpart Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, Multimedia and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak and state leaders.

The TV OKEY channel can be viewed on channel 110 on MyTV and 109 on Astro.