Most fishermen in Seberang Perai own a smartphone, but use it mainly for WhatsApp, Facebook and videos. Merapatkan Jurang Digital (“Bridging the Digital Divide”) set out to show fishing families how the same phone can help them stay safe online, deal with paperwork, sell their catch and understand what artificial intelligence (AI) can do for their work.
Three workshops, 79 participants
Between August and November 2025 the team ran three half-day workshops, one in each district of Seberang Perai:
- Unit Nelayan Sungai Tembus, Penaga (2 August 2025)
- Pusat Pendidikan Kecil Hutan Paya Laut, Nibong Tebal (27 September 2025)
- Dewan Pen Mutiara, Butterworth (15 November 2025)
In all, 79 people took part: 57 fishermen, 17 family members and 5 young people. Participants were invited through the heads of the local fishermen’s units, the area fishermen’s association and PIFWA, and kept in touch through a WhatsApp group before and after each session.
The training modules
Each workshop covered four one-hour modules, taught with live demonstrations, quizzes and hands-on practice on participants’ own phones. The slides are free to download (in Bahasa Melayu):
- Module 1: Cybersecurity Awareness (PDF, 1.5 MB): Phishing, online scams and protecting your data.
- Module 2: AI in Fisheries (PDF, 785.1 KB): Fish tracking, weather prediction and remote sensing.
- Module 3: Writing Letters with ChatGPT (PDF, 1.1 MB): Using generative AI for everyday paperwork.
- Module 4: TikTok Marketing Strategy (PDF, 22.3 MB): Short videos and digital branding for fisheries products.
What changed
At the start, most participants saw AI as complicated and unrelated to their lives. Once the examples were tied to fishing, selling fish and writing simple letters, interest grew and people were more willing to try the tools themselves. Surveys before and after the workshops showed an average 60% improvement in digital awareness and confidence, and about 70% of participants went on to use the tools they were shown.
What the team learned
- Full-time fishermen were hard to reach at first: time spent in a workshop is time not spent earning. Turnout improved sharply once the leader of the local fishermen’s association backed the programme.
- People learn best by doing. Step-by-step demonstrations, small groups and explanations in the local language worked better than lectures.
- The digital divide is not only about devices or internet access. Confidence and willingness to try matter just as much.
- One workshop is not enough. Follow-up sessions and mentoring are needed for new habits to last, and an allowance would help fishermen attend without losing a day’s income.
The same grant also supported photo and video documentation of mangrove wildlife at Nibong Tebal and Sungai Tembus, and a monograph, Hutan Paya Laut: Permata Seberang Perai, as content for a digital education centre.
