PBDS Baru questions Zahidi’s claim of 94 pct 4G network coverage nationwide
MIRI: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDS Baru) is puzzled as to how Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin came up with the statement recently claiming that the coverage of the fourth generation (4G) network nationwide has now reached 94 per cent.
“We cannot help but to question the deputy minister’s statement. Is the 94 per cent 4G coverage involves only Malaya or does it include Sabah and Sarawak?
“If Sabah and Sarawak are included, we strongly believe that Sarawakians might disagree with the percentage declared for the 4G network coverage,” said party president Bobby William in a statement yesterday.
He pointed out that some areas in the state do not even have 3G network coverage, while some rural areas have no internet access at all.
He lamented that the people in rural areas suffer the most especially now when teaching is carried out online.
“How is that possible for the nation to have 94 per cent 4G network coverage?
“The teachers association of Sarawak can also verify what we have highlighted above whereby the teachers and students suffer the most because they hardly have access to internet,” Bobby said.
He thus called on Zahidi to provide the actual percentage of the 4G network coverage in the state as the people have the right to know the development in their respective area.
Bobby also called on the federal government to expedite the infrastructure development in Sarawak to reduce the gap between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia.
“After 58 years since the formation of Malaysia in 1963, the development gap between states in Malaya and Sabah and Sarawak is too obvious to be ignored.
“This led us to wonder if Sabah and Sarawak are equal partners in the formation of Malaysia,” he said.
Last Saturday, Bernama reported Zahidi as saying that the coverage of the 4G network nationwide has now reached 94 per cent.
He also said that the country was expected to be able to achieve full 4G coverage within two years, with efforts now being carried out by the government together with the relevant agencies to realise the target.
“Once all areas have reached 4G, we will try to upgrade the coverage to the 5G network,” he was quoted as saying.