“Would you prefer a snail or cheetah?”

This was the question posed by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, in response to Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak, who said Malaysians prefer slower internet.

“I don’t understand. Do we prefer to sit on a bullock cart or in a car? So, we do not need a vision for a developed country? We may as well be an under-developed country,” he said.

Lim said Salleh should resign from his minister’s post for issuing such an “illogical” statement.

He also urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to replace Salleh or transfer him to a slower department or make him a “non-portfolio minister”.

“The non-portfolio minister post may fit him better so that he can be as slow as he wish. As a communications and multimedia minister, Salleh needs to be fast,” Lim quipped.

“His statement showed that he is not fit for the job, how can a minister of communications and multimedia not want faster internet?” Lim asked.

'Embarrassing the nation'

Salleh on Monday said 71 percent of Malaysian internet users preferred the slower Streamyx broadband package that offers speeds between 384kbps to 1Mbps, although higher speed was available.

He was also chided by former Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz, who noted that our internet speed is currently slower than neighbouring Thailand and Singapore, where speed ranges between 4 and 5mbps.

Rafidah (photo) also criticised Salleh, saying that it was embarrassing for the world to have such a perception that Malaysians preferred the slow option, and that the government was happy with such a claim.

“And we want to be a developed country by 2020, a first world country, which has to be innovation driven,” said Rafidah in her latest Facebook post.

It appears that the country will remain under-developed as the criteria for a developing country needs better ICT and broadband services, she said.

“Perhaps, only BN supporters would agree with Salleh. They want all things slow so they can continue to have power in the country,” Lim added.

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