KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM13.7 billion has been spent on the Universal Service Provision programme under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to give the people increased access to telecommunications services since 2008, the Dewan Negara was told yesterday.
Communications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Jailani Johari said to date, a total of 20,206 telecommunication towers and 841 1Malaysia Internet Centres (PI1Ms) had also been built in under served areas while another 16 (PI1Ms) were scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2018.
“The government has also implemented the 1Malaysia People’s Cable System (SKR1M), an initiative to improve internet connection speed in Sabah and Sarawak through the installation of 4 terabits per second submarine fibre optic cables with the total overall distance of more than 3,800 km,” he said.
Replying to a question from Senator Datuk Fahariyah Md Nordin, Jailani added that efforts to empower the people’s economy had also continued through online entrepreneurship courses and training such as e-Usahawan and e-Rezeki programmes conducted at PI1M nationwide.
He said from January 2016 to November this year, a total of 141,380 youths and rural entrepreneurs had undergone training under the e-Usahawan programme at 112 centres including at mini-Rural Transformation Centres (RTC), Urban Transformation Centres and PPI1M sas well as at 411 technical and vocational education training centres.
“Of that number, a total of 33,529 participants have recorded a total turnover of more than RM177 million.
“For the e-Rezeki programme, some 138,031 individuals have been trained at 346 training centres, including the e-Rezeki centre, community colleges, PI1M, mini RTCs as well as 336 e-Rezeki representatives,” he said.
Of that total, a total of 106,964 had earned RM93 million in total revenue, he added. — Bernama