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KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM) expects that next year’s budget, which will be presented on Friday, will announce internet connectivity as the third public service after water and electricity.
His minister, Saifuddin Abdullah, said that the ministry believed that it was important for the budget to recognize Internet connectivity as a public service in this country.
“It does not involve any financing because the financing is already there. But a policy statement that Internet connectivity is considered a public service just like water and electricity is important.
“Because as far as KKMM is concerned, that will reduce the waiting time to get the relevant approval from the local authorities. So, I hope it’s in the (budget) speech, ”he told reporters after visiting the media center in Parliament here today.
Saifuddin said that the proposal on the matter had been presented and discussed during the meeting of the National Council for Physical Planning chaired by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, two weeks ago.
Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz will present the 2021 Budget at the Dewan Rakyat on Friday.
Meanwhile, a group of consumers has asked the government to pay due attention in the budget to the low rate of broadband penetration in rural areas.
Kedah Consumers Association (CAKE) Secretary Mohd Yusrizal Yusoff said that the rural community, including small merchants, now relies heavily on the internet, especially to market their products.
“There are complaints from villagers about the difficulty of getting an Internet connection to widely market their products in an effort to increase their income.
“For example, in the Padang Terap area, there are areas where the internet speed is very slow. We know that some villagers produce and sell potato chips and ‘mengkuang’ rugs, but the unsatisfactory internet service has derailed their efforts to promote their products to a wider audience, ”he told Bernama here today.
He said that due to the same problem, small traders in rural areas have a limited market, so they cannot generate better income.
He said that, in the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, a good broadband service is a very important basic need, not only in the business sector but also in other sectors, including education.
“For example, most institutions of higher education have taken the initiative to take classes or exams online. This measure has posed difficulties for students living in areas with low Internet coverage.
“Students also need to get learning materials from the Internet. CAKE sees that students living in areas with low internet coverage have trouble getting these materials, ”he said.
In this regard, he called on the government to immediately address this situation by improving broadband infrastructure in rural areas and taking other initiatives that can help the community to enjoy better Internet facilities.
