People are talking industry 4.0 and 5.0, but in these efforts to build a smart digital environment, a serious lack of attention is paid to those on the ground, or more accurately, to measures for improving the lives of the poor and destitute.

Even with the recent adoption of the Asean Smart Cities Framework by Asean leaders in Singapore, with its promise "that no one is left behind", the focus is mainly on the "urban centres".