MIRI: The public is far from happy with the overall coverage of mobile phones and Internet in the state because of the presence of too many “blindspots” .
According to Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, there are such blindspots in some semi-urban places in Sarawak where mobile phones and the Internet do not work.
“There are still tens of thousands of people throughout Sarawak who still cannot use mobile phones and the Internet. This state of affair is not acceptable because telecommunication companies in Malaysia are making billions in profit and they must thus allocate a bigger slice of their profits to improve the mobile phone and Internet coverage for the rakyat,” he said yesterday.
Junaidi said these companies must be willing to spend a bigger slice of their profits to construct more telecommunication towers.
According to him, the telecommunication companies are at the moment depending too much on the Government’s Multimedia Commission to build the infrastructure for telecommunications coverage in the rural and sub-rural regions.
Junaidi, who is Santubong MP, told The Star yesterday that in view of the massive amount of profits the telecommunication companies are making every year, the rakyat were right to expect more quality services and commitment from these telecommunication giants.
“I urge these telecommunication companies to perform their corporate and social responsibilities on a wider context.
“These companies must invest more in building the necessary infrastructure facilities in the rural and sub-urban areas to enable mobile phone and internet coverage.
“Presently, the rakyat are depending strictly on the Multimedia Commission through its “Universal Fund” to finance the construction of digital telecommunications infrastructure facilities for the rural regions.”
Junaidi said it would seem that the telecommunication companies were not investing much in such infrastructure in the rural and sub-urban areas because of commercial considerations.
“They hesitate to spend much in these areas, and I feel this is not proper. They must use a bigger slice of the profits they are raking in every year from their businesses in cities and towns to help the rakyat living in the rural settlements,” he said.
Junaidi contacted The Star to voice his dissatisfaction over the overall quality of the mobile phone and internet service.
He said he had already written a letter to the Minister of Information, Multimedia and Telecommunications and the Multimedia Commission Malaysia over the matter.
He is also seeking more funds to expediate the approval for more telecommunication tower projects for rural and semi-urban Sarawak.
“I am going to bring up the matter to the Minister when I see him this week.
“I have also brought up the issue with the chief executive officer of Scopa Sdn Bhd, the state telecommunication implementing agency.
“I have also written them a letter two months ago on the many issues that need to be looked into.
“There are even several areas in my Santubong constituency that are still without mobile phone frequencies.
“The areas are Kpg Telok Melano, Kpg Telok Serabang, Kpg Tiang Api, Kpg Beradik and also along the stretch of road from Lundu to Sempadi and Kpg Bengang,” he stressed.
Junaidi said even though most areas in urban constituencies had mobile phone and internet coverage, there were still blind spots everywhere.
“This is the sort of digital divide we must bridge,” he said.