KUALA LUMPUR: The government today launched MyBaikHati, an initiative to collect and repair used electronic devices such as laptops for use at Pusat Internet Komuniti (community internet centres) and other community-based organisations.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this would see the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) collaborating with telecommunication companies for the crowd-sourcing initiative.
"This programme will start with a collection campaign for used devices such as laptops, that will be repaired and distributed to Pusat Internet Komuniti and other community-based organisations, among others," Muhyiddin said during the unveiling of the Strategic Programme to Empower the People and Economy (Pemerkasa).
He said the government would also increase the subsidy amount to purchase new mobile devices from RM180 to RM300, especially for households with school-going children.
"If we had announced the telephone purchase subsidy of RM180 to all Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat recipients in the 2021 Budget, the government will now improve this subsidy amount by raising it to RM300 especially for households with school-going children to buy mobile phones or new devices.
"With this, the allocation for this programme will be increased to RM2 billion. InsyaAllah, it will be launched early May."
Muhyiddin urged telecommunication companies to provide affordable internet packages to eligible recipients and continue to give additional data quota.
These initiatives are listed in Focus Three - Strengthening the Country's Competitiveness and aimed at bridging the digital divide in the country.
Muhyiddin also said MCMC had allocated RM3.2 billion this year under the Universal Service Provision Fund to upgrade the existing communication towers and provide fibre optics access to relevant premises.
"The MyDigital framework and the Malaysian Digital Economy Blueprint have outlined the commercial 5G service as the most important requirement (to bridge the digital divide), as with high speed internet, in order to spark innovation and create new job opportunities in the country's digital economy.
"Therefore, 5G service is expected to be operational in stages starting end of the year," he added.