In another poser over the awarding of contracts, DAP MP Zairil Khir Johari has questioned YTL Corp’s monopoly over Internet learning facilities for schools, which could rake in an estimated RM9 billion over five years.

The Bukit Bendera MP said he raised the matter in Parliament, demanding to know why YTL Corp, which has only been an Internet service provider for some three years, was the best choice to meet the education needs for some 10,000 schools and 5.5 million students.

 

NONE “While I was prepared for startling figures in terms of expenditure for these various programmes, I must admit I wasn’t prepared for the fact that every single one of the above projects has been awarded to only one company - YTL and its subsidiaries,” he added in a press statement.

Zairil ( right ), the son of former education minister Mohd Khir Johari, noted that YTL Corp officially obtained three contracts worth RM1.3 billion from the government, under the directive of Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

This included setting up Internet connection, 1BestariNet programme (RM663 million), a virtual learning environment platform (RM513 million) and provision of Chromebooks (laptops) under the 1Student1Device Programme (RM139.6 million).

However, the contracts carried recurring business such as internet subscription contracts, maintenance and licensing, which Zairil said might amount to RM9 billion business over five years.

For example, he cited that the plan to provide a laptop to every student could alone cost RM6.6 billion, if a total of 5.5 million units were supplied.

YTL maintains open tender

 

In an email interview in February, YTL Corp communications chief executive officer Wing K Lee told Malaysiakini that the 1BestariNet project was awarded to the company through an open tender process.

In an email reply to Malaysiakini ’s queries today, a YTL official wrote that the facts are "different from what the MP had asserted."

However, since the matter was raised as a formal question in Parliament, the company would let the government respond formally, the official said without elaborating.

YTL Corp now also provides cheap internet access for Malaysian university undergraduates. Current participating universities include Universiti Malaya, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tunku Abdul Rahman College.

Under its education policy, Malaysia aims to implement a virtual learning environment, already in use elsewhere, from UK to South Korea.

YTL started out as a small construction firm in Malaysia before branching out into utilities, property development and tourism.

It became an Internet provider in Malaysia when it set up its 4G WiMax network in 2010, leapfrogging over broadband and 3G internet providers such as Celcom, DiGi and Maxis.

The company is associated with Malaysian billionaire Yeoh Tiong Lay, who is the seventh richest man in Malaysia, according to Forbes magazine.

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