BRIDGING DIGITAL GAP: Initiative only for households earning less than RM3,000 a month
The poor in rural and urban areas from households earning less than RM3,000 a month will enjoy free Internet for the first 30 minutes of use every day. The initiative is expected to start next month.
In announcing this yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said those registered under the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) assistance scheme would be among those to enjoy the benefit in a move spearheaded by the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry.
"We are providing free Internet for the poor in villages and towns, for the first half hour (of use)," Najib told some 1,500 Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) staff at a gathering with the prime minister at its headquarters here yesterday.
Describing it as a community-centric initiative that would be expanded to include more Malaysians, Najib said this would contribute to the country's growing digital penetration.
The ministry, with the help of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, will rope in all telecommunication providers for the effort.
Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the initiative would target households earning less than RM3,000.
"We will use the database for BR1M recipients as a starting point to select those who qualify for the initiative."
He said the ministry would finalise the mechanism of the initiative by next week, and determine whether it would include subscribers of broadband, high-speed broadband and fibre optic Internet services.
"We will involve Sabah, Sarawak and the peninsula when carrying out this effort. As many communicate via the Internet for an average of 15 minutes to half an hour, the announcement by the prime minister on this matter will benefit many."
"May Telekom Malaysia continue with its success as a premier telecommunications company," Najib said.
The prime minister also praised TM for exceeding various targets, including setting up more than 1.37 million premises in the country with high-speed broadband.Malaysia has among the highest number of users of the service in the region.The prime minister's speech was also heard by TM staff in various locations nationwide who joined the event via live online streaming.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak getting a warm welcome from Telekom Malaysia Bhd staff during a the ‘Majlis Ramah Mesra Warga TM Bersama Perdana Menteri’ gathering at its headquarters 19 March 2013
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