Online PdP: Education ministry-MCMC talks continue on rural internet accessibility

The government will continue to hold talks with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to find a solution to the problem of internet access in rural areas including facilities for online teaching-and-learning (PdP) in Sabah and Sarawak.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad said the government was aware of the challenges in implementing online PdP such as limited internet access, high cost of data plans, and students who do not own the necessary equipment such as laptops and phones.

"The government has outlined several strategies to tackle these challenges, the universities have taken immediate action by sending PdP material through the post," she said.

Noraini was replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Mohamad Alamin (BN-Kimanis) who asked what strategies the government was taking to improve internet accessibility especially in tertiary institutions in the two East Malaysian states.

Mohamad said he had received complaints from a lecturer in a tertiary institution in Kota Kinabalu who had to go to the rooftop to get internet access so that he could check students' assignments and conduct online classes.

-- BERNAMA