The federal government will provide 37,920 more students from poor families in Kedah with 1Malaysia Netbook computers.
Kedah Umno liaison deputy chairman Mukhriz Mahathir said the provision under Phase Two of the 1Malaysia Netbook scheme will benefit students from178 schools in 11 parliamentary constituencies in the state.
“This scheme is a government effort to narrow the urban-rural information access divide in creating a knowledgeable society,” he said afterhanding over netbooks to 2,814 students from 13 schools in the Jerlun parliamentary constituency.
Earlier, in his speech, Mukhriz advised parents and guardians to ensure that netbook is appreciated by not selling it for a quick buck, depriving their children a convenient access to information.
“A netbook only costs RM1,000 and our children can use it to obtain useful information and improve their knowledge for better academic performance. But unfortunately, I’ve heard of parents selling the given netbooks,” be said.
Mukhriz, who is International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister, also reminded students to use the netbook for a useful purpose as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) could take it away if it was misused.
MCMC Northern Region Operations manager Ismail Othman said almost all schools supplied with the 1Malaysia Netbooks had full WiFi access.
He said students who received the netbooks could also subscribe to the Internet package from as low as RM25 monthly.
– Bernama