MYC: Smart phone rebate only for the needy

KUALA LUMPUR: The RM200 rebate for youths given by the government for the purchase of smart phones is to help the needy, Malaysian Youth Council president Mohamed Maliki Mohamed Rapiee said yesterday.

He said youths who could afford phones that cost more than RM500 should allow others to fill the quota of 1.5 million people under the Youth Communication Package offer.

“Youths must learn to look at the needs of others, not only their own needs,” he told Bernama.

Mohamed Maliki was commenting on the unease among youths on the announcement of the government that the rebate was only for
buying smart phones priced up to RM500.

According to the youths, smart phones in such a price range did not have functions they wanted and asked for the rebate to be increased.

On Thursday, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman Datuk Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi said the 3G smart phones, which could be bought via the Youth Communication Package to get the rebate, must be priced at RM500 and below.

Announcing the rebate when tabling the 2013 budget last September, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said it was a government effort to give 1.5 million youths access to information, with a RM300 million allocation for the purpose.

Mohamed Maliki said youths should look at their actual needs which the government wanted to fulfill under the package, namely to provide a 3G high speed Internet facility and not to enable them to own a high-technology gadget.

The Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) secretary, Datuk Ma’amor Osman, said the government must monitor the selection criteria to ensure that only those eligible received the rebate.

A Bernama check at several outlets selling smart phones found more than 20 smart phones with 3G functions priced at below RM500.