PENAMPANG: Starting yesterday, Tiara Eden Charles, would not have to go to a cyber cafe just to surf the Internet.
In fact, the Form Six student from SMK Bahang, does not have to borrow her classmates’ laptop computers, or spend her spare time at their houses to get access to the Internet.
With the presentation of the 1Malaysia laptop computers to students from five secondary schools in Penampang constituency, the 18-year-old girl now has one to call her own.
While eagerly checking the box containing the laptop computer that she had been longing for, Tiara said, “When I was called to receive this, I was so nervous. I never thought that I can be so lucky to receive this from the government. ”
“Without the computer and Internet access, I would have a hard time completing my homework, but now, I’m confident that study, completing homework or carrying out research will be easier,” she said, adding that such an aid was very helpful for students who hailed from low-income families like her.
Tiara’s sentiment was shared by her classmate, Muhammad Isa Aziz Gaffar, who also received the laptop computer.
Muhammad Isa thanked the government for providing the gadget, which he deemed a luxury, since his family could never afford to get one for him or his siblings.
A total of 320 students received the laptop computers.
They were from SMK Bahang, SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin, SMK Limbanak, SM St Michael and Sekolah Tinggi Kota Kinabalu.
Penampang member of parliament Tan Sri Bernard Dompok when opening the presentation ceremony at SMK St Michael here, said in the first phase last year, 10,000 units of the 1Malaysia laptop computers were distributed in Sabah.
A total of 49,832 more had been allocated for the second phase this year, he said.
“From the second phase, we are lucky that 1,400 recipients are students from Penampang,” he said.
He said the distribution of 1Malaysia netbooks was in line with the National Broadband Plan to increase broadband infrastructure capability and bring Internet to all.