KUALA KLAWANG: The Information Communication and Culture Ministry is to distribute more than 500,000 laptop computers nationwide by the end of this year, Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said here yesterday.
He said the ministry, through the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), had provided for two phases of distribution of the computers to students and community leaders.
“Some 123,000 computers were allocated under the first phase and 200,000 under the second.
So far, 200,000 computers have been distributed in all the parliamentary constituencies and schools nationwide.
“Distribution under the first phase has been completed while that under the second phase will begin in three weeks,” he told reporters after opening a collective parent-teacher association meeting for schools in the Jelebu parliamentary constituency, here.
Dr Rais, who is the MP for Jelebu, said 300,000 computers would be given away through tender under the third phase to small and medium enterprises for handling their sales and purchases. He said all the three phases of computer distribution would be completed this year.
He also said that the ministry was monitoring the complaints from the computer recipients, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, about difficulty in accessing the broadband network. It was also investigating the alleged sale of computers by irresponsible recipients, he added. — Bernama