KUALA LUMPUR: MYTV Broadcasting Sdn Bhd (MYTV) has distributed 1.6 million of the two million free decoder units for eligible recipients, the Dewan Negara was told today.
Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Eddie Syazlee Shith said the recipients were selected from the “Bantuan Sara Hidup” (Household Living Aid) list, especially the lowest income B40 households.
On myFreeview broadcasts transmitted via the decoder, he said it had reached 98 per cent coverage in populated areas, but did not deny it occasionally faced broadcast disturbances such as pay TV broadcasts.
“With regard to these broadcast disturbances, we need to understand that pay TV stations like Astro also face technical difficulties (at times), what more companies giving free services? There is no difference. MYTV has given their best as part of their services,” he said at the Q & A session today.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Senator Datuk Abdullah Salleh who asked questions regarding myFreeview broadcast disturbance issues.
The terrestrial digital TV service under myFreeview branding is a government initiative provided free of charge to the people, operated by MYTV company through private sector funding.
Meanwhile, replying to Senator Datuk Rabiyah Ali who wanted to know the status of the implementation of the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ), Eddin said that until the end of last year, more than 6,000 local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) had participated in various DFTZ initiative programmes, since it was introduced in 2017.
DFTZ is a strategic initiative aimed at increasing the exports of local SMEs and making Malaysia the regional e-Commerce Fulfillment hub. - Bernama