(Dewan Rakyat, Wednesday): In Hanover last week, the Prime Minsiter said the whole country would become a multimedia super corridor by the year 2020. This is a noble aim but what are the steps that are being taken to implement this ? Surely instead of plonking billions of ringgit in one area, it would be better to spread it around. Instead of having a divide, i.e. some people with P6 chips and the best systems which money can buy and others without electricity. Let everyone share the funds equally, equip all schools with PCs (medium grade ones) instead of having a few hi-tech smart schools and a lot more schools without anything.
It is time the government implement the proposal I made during the debate on the Education Bill in 1995 to make computer literacy a core subject for all primary and secondary schools. What progress have we made in ensuring that all the 250,000 teachers in the country become computer literate, so that they are equipped to teach their students rather having the blind leading the blind.
However, Malaysians cannot help wonder whether the government or country is prepared for the ambitious project of leapfrogging into the information society when the woes of Tmnet subscribers could drag out for so long without remedy either by Telekoms or concern by the regulatory agency, the Telekoms Department.
Tmnet has been having so many problems over the last month with no information or even news from tmnet itself. Customers complain about not being able to receive the most basic of internet services, email.
Sysadmins around the world have been reporting problems with sending mail to Tm.net.my addresses. Their problem not only affects their customers but sysadmins worldwide also as the sysadmins have to spend time explaining to their users why the mail does not get through.
This puts malaysia in a bad light considering that Telekom Malaysia has the sole monopoly over telecomms and data services in the MSC. Not only does Tmnet not deliver the email, they've frequently delivered email to the wrong recepient. This is a violation of their customers' privacy.
Surely Jabatan Telekom Malaysia, which gladly issued the ISP license to them, should regulate Tmnet for minimum quality of service ? Can the Minister for Telecommunications explain why Jabatan Telekoms have turned a deaf ears to the woes of Tmnet for so long?
(25/3/98)