Dato Sri Dr James Masing
KUCHING: Rural communities in the state are still faced with the problem of poor radio reception 48 years after the birth of our nation.
In fact the radio transmission has deteriorated in the last four years.
People in the interior complained that transmission was still clear in 2007 but now it is so bad that they have to resort to short-wave radio to listen to music and news from radio stations in Indonesia, Vietnam and China.
Radio broadcast is a very important media for remote rural communities as it is often the only source of news and entertainment from the outside world.
Important news and messages from the town to the interiors depended on the radio broadcast.
It forms one of the fastest ways of delivering messages to the interiors.
For many of the people living in the remote interior, they depended on the radio to convey or receive messages such as – acceptance of a place in the university, jobs, including notification of deaths or critical illness of relatives.
The poor quality radio reception by RTM has been an issue frequently voiced by the rakyat, especially from the interiors; and this issue has been brought during past sessions at the Sarawak State Legislative assembly and there has been assurance by the relevant minister to address the issue of poor reception, however, the quality of radio reception in the interiors remain very unsatisfactory.
Dato Sri Dr James Masing, the incumbent for Baleh made comment on the issue in 2009 that “It is really high time that the government improve the quality and coverage of radio transmission in Sarawak”.
Masing, who is also the Minister of Land Development, said: “It is somewhat amusing that things had not changed much since 1963 as far as radio communication was concerned.”
Taking the cue from Masing, the former assemblyman of Telang Usan, Lihan Jok, said it was not just the Iban Radio Station coverage that was lacking in the rural area, but both Kayan and Kenyah radio coverage too needed improvement.
According to him, the first hour for both Kayan and Kenyah radio transmission scheduled from 4pm to 6pm was okay, but after that, radio stations of other languages such as Vietnamese and Chinese (from China) would take over.
“Just like in Ulu Baram, some 30,000 people depend on good radio reception.
“If the service is not provided, it deprives them of the only free entertainment available. I should think it is high time that the government start a Penan radio station. I have requested it in 2007, but I was informed that it is still under consideration, including perhaps training the Penans to be radio DJs,” Lihan said.
MP for Hulu Rejang, Datuk Billy Abit Joo, said in his area which is a big as the state of Pahang, with some 17,000 inhabitants, only about one-third of the people was able to receive radio service.
“Only those living in Belaga town, Kapit and Sungei Asap resettlement area are able to receive radio transmission. For the rural people in his area, radio is everything.
“For example, someone met an accident in Sibu and the news needed to be conveyed to the relatives in Ulu Belaga … radio broadcasting is the only way to reach out to the relatives who stayed at Ulu Belaga.
“In another case, the son of one of my constituents who stayed at Ulu Katibas got to know of his acceptance to a local university through a radio announcement,” said Billy.
Dato Sri William Mawan Ikom, the Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation, in commenting the issue stated that he could not understand why it took so long for RTM to expand its radio coverage to include every part of Sarawak.
“Those places that have already been covered, I think clarity is also crucial.
If people do not receive clear radio signal, then they could not get the messages,” said Mawan.
The issue of quality radio coverage will continue to be a subject of dissatisfaction voiced by the rakyat from the interiors and the federal government should address it promptly.