KUALA LUMPUR: To students and lecturers alike, the government’s initiative to enable university students to have their own netbook with free broadband service can only be described as ‘heaven-sent’ to students and lecturers, alike.The package, supported by Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), will be introduced this year as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when tabling the 2010 Budget last October.
For a start, TM will offer the netbook package, including free broadband service, to 100,000 university students with a monthly installment of RM50 for two years.
“First-year students and those from low-income families will be given priority. TM will announce details of the package soon,” its vice-president (Retail Product) Aziz A Hadi told Bernama.
Apart from contributing towards increasing the broadband penetration rate and using the Information Communication Technology (ICT) to create a knowledge-based society, the package would also support the government’s efforts to strengthen human capital development.
In 2008, there were 400,949 local students at public institutions of higher learning, and 399,852 at private institutions.
Universiti Malaya Student Council president Mohd Ridzuan Mohammad described the move as appropriate to enable students to get faster access to information on the Internet.
“It will also enable students to find references and obtain the latest information on current local and international issues.
“I just hope that the government’s initiative will be welcomed and used by the students in a positive way. In other words, I hope they will not abuse it,” he said.
Although the charge imposed by TM was low, Mohd Ridzuan hoped the service offered would be of high quality.
Hanapi Azizul, 23, who studies management and administration at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said the initiative would definitely help the students, especially the underprivileged.
“We cannot afford to buy the netbook and subscribe to the broadband service ourselves. Sometimes, the scholarship money is insufficient. So, this initiative really helps.
“At least, we can save on the scholarship, loan or our own pocket money for something else, in case of emergency, or save it for our practical training which could be costly,” he said.
Several lecturers interviewed by Bernama also lauded the initiative and described the netbook and broadband service as a necessity in the modern world.
It would also teach the students to be more responsible as the netbook was not given for free.
Dean of Modern Languages and Communication Faculty at Universiti Putra Malaysia, Prof Madya Dr Che Ibrahim Salleh, said the monthly instalment would also enable the students to be committed.
His view was echoed by his deputy, Prof Madya Dr Abdul Mua’ati alias Zamri Ahmad, who said the instalment was apt.
“If the government offers the netbook package for free, it will not be appreciated.
It will end up like some school textbooks which were vandalised or torn because they are free.
“However, when the student has to pay an affordable RM50 monthly, they will take good care of and love the device because they know that it can help them in their studies. So, I think it is a very good move,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kolej Universiti Islam Selangor communication department head Nur Aina Nabila Dundai Abdullah said the students really needed such a package to enable them to become more competitive.
“Usually, the students go to cyber cafes to surf the Internet but the time spent to get the information is limited.
Thus, with the package, they can get internet access wherever they are,” she said. — Bernama