Kota Kinabalu: Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Madius Tangau questioned how much of the 6 per cent levy imposed on all telecommunication operators in the country goes towards Sabah, which is still lagging in terms of internet connectivity.
Speaking during the Ministry of Communications and Digital Committee Level Supply Bill debate in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday, Madius asked for the total collected amount since 2022.
“The Government collects the 6 per cent levy from the income of telecommunication companies, which is sourced from the phone bills of mobile phone users from all over the country.
“Telecommunications companies then contribute the percentage as the Universal Service Provision (USP) to the Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
“Part of this 6 per cent is then used by MCMC in collaboration with mobile and fixed service providers to build broadband infrastructure to provide better services to the population, especially population clusters in suburban, rural and remote areas,” he said.
Madius added that as traditional learning methods shifted online, students in Sabah still have to go to extreme lengths to get internet access, sometimes even risking their own lives for a brighter future.
“Therefore, I would like to ask how many telecommunication towers have been built in Sabah since 2022 to improve this situation and what are the prominent changes felt by those in the rural areas?” he said.
He brought to the attention a number of 20 schools in Tuaran lacking internet connectivity which hinders the learning process and the economic growth of the surrounding community.
“Some telecommunication regulations may fall in the area of ambiguity – between State and Federal jurisdiction, which is applicable under the Federal Constitution.
“Therefore, given that internet connectivity has now become an important utility, along with water and electricity facilities that are under the auspices of the State, are there any specific circumstances where the ongoing discussion on the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 or MA63 will also touch on telecommunications?
“The Sarawak Government managed to erect more than 1,000 transmitter towers using the Sarawak Government’s own funds.
“What is the actual policy of the Federal government regarding the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority? It is important for the Federal Government to allocate a sufficient budget to encourage broadband internet penetration to meet the national average.
“As the regions of Sabah and Sarawak are vast, there are many places where broadband access can only be quickly addressed with the active use of satellite technologies that have no geographical limitations compared to infrastructure and services current terrestrial and underground broadband,” he said.
In this vein, Madius also asked if the Federal Government would launch additional programmes to Jendela 1 and Jendela 2 to make 4G services available throughout Sabah.
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