PRIME MINISTER Najib Razak launched new television channel, Okey TV  to boost creative content in Sabah and Sarawak and to fight fake news.

“Okey” stands for Opportunity, Knowledge, Exciting Yours, a 24-hour government-run channel aired on Astro 109 and MyTV 110.

The channel is the brainchild of Najib.

According to Najib, aside from the Malay language, the only effective communication for the ethnic communities in Sabah and Sarawak were their languages.

“There are around 52 ethnic groups in Sabah and 27 ethnic groups in Sarawak.

“Apart from the Iban and KadazanDusun and Bajau languages on the television, the other ethnic languages in could possibly only be heard on the radio.

“It is my hope that more programmes in Dusunic and Bajau languages could be aired through this channel,” he said the launching of the channel in Kota Kinabalu today.

Present were Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman, Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg and Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak.

According Najib, with the creation of this new channel, the Sabahan communities would be well informed and therefore, would be able to distinguish between truth and fake news.

The channel will also be a platform for local Sabahans and Sarawakians to polish their talents and can be an opportunity to display their art, he said.

“Creativity is also one of the fields under the National Key Economic Areas, by which the government aims to create 10,000 jobs by 2020,” he said. – March 21, 2018.