The government aims to ensure at least 50 percent of rural areas in the country get 5G technology telecommunication coverage by the middle of next year.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government will also ensure not less than 85 percent of rural areas obtain 5G coverage by the end of 2024.
"The remaining 15 percent might be mountainous areas and so on that may be quite difficult to reach.
“We know that under the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, he is very progressive in terms of his ideas and vision,” he told the Selamat Pagi Malaysia talk show programme aired on RTM today.
"We are carrying out this coordination because we feel that rural folks deserve it too. We don’t want when trying to get access to the internet, they have to climb up trees to get coverage.
“So, this must be avoided... although difficult, we can do it,” he added
Zahid, who is also Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said his ministry, together with the Communications and Digital Ministry and the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa), has identified Orang Asli areas for the installation of Starlink satellite devices so that this group will also not be left behind.
Developing Orang Asli settlements
Commenting on Budget 2024 that was tabled by Anwar on Friday (Oct 13), Zahid said the Orang Asli community had been allocated RM333 million, which covers the implementation of socio-economic development projects, infrastructure and provision of social assistance.
He also said that the Rural and Regional Development Ministry is targeting a total of 400 Orang Asli children to enter university next year, in addition to ensuring more people take up non-conventional Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes that are geared towards high technology.
Being National TVET Council Committee chairman, Zahid said such efforts are vertical social mobility approaches meant to elevate the community's standard of living.
"We find that Orang Asli settlements in the country are scattered, but under the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954 (Act 134), we will discuss with the Attorney-General's Chambers and carry out detailed studies with the state governments because many of their areas have been encroached,” he said.
Previously, he told the Dewan Rakyat that the government is implementing a review of the Act to refine certain provisions involving the community.
On the overall allocation for his ministry under Budget 2024, Zahid said a big portion (64.4 percent) of the RM11.5 billion set aside for the ministry would be for development.
"RM7.4 billion from the overall RM11.5 billion (for development) and only RM4.1 billion for operating expenses. This shows our concern for issues on infrastructure and development in rural areas,” he said.
Elaborating, Zahid said emphasis must also be given to infrastructure facilities for the people in Sabah and Sarawak, including the supply of water and electricity, social amenity projects as well as other amenities.
The Budget 2024 also allocated 4.7 percent or RM513 million increase in allocation for the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, including RM2.4 billion to Felda, Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra) and Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) to boost agricommodity activities and increase smallholders’ socio-economy.
- Bernama
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.