The government does not decide the rate charged by Astro for its direct-to-home satellite pay television services rendered to its subscribers.

Deputy Information Communications and Culture minister Joseph Salang Gandum said the paid services provided by Astro were not basic communications service but rather a choice made by subscribers to have a choice of more channels.

"Currently, the minimum amount charged by Astro for a basic package comprising 26 channels, is still competitive at RM37.95.

"It is a common practice by most of the service providers throughout the world to offer packages based on the demand and requirement of clients," said Joseph Salang when answering a question by Mohd Nor Othman (BN-Hulu Terengganu).

Mohd Nor had wanted to know what steps were being taken by the ministry to reduce the monopoly of private television stations in the country and the action taken by the ministry to monitor the rates charged by them for packages offered, since it was becoming a burden to the people.

Joseph Salang said packages offered by private broadcast stations are aimed at providing various programmes for their clients to pick.

He said Astro offered 13 packages in various languages featuring rates ranging from RM37.95 to RM179.75, including video on demand and three Premium packages.

Net neutrality assured

Meanwhile Joseph Salang also said that Malaysia was committed to the general principles of net neutrality' and no Internet censorship.

He said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had been practising open access for holders of telecommunication licence under the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998.

"The law, enforced on those who violated the country's laws via the Internet, did not contravene the Net Neutrality principle," he said today.

He was replying to Tony Pua (DAP-Petaling Jaya Utara) who wanted to know the government's stand on the network neutrality policy for Internet services in Malaysia.

Salang said net neutrality was a principle proposed for internet service providers (ISPs) and users, advocating no restriction on content, site or platform, on the types of equipment that might be attached, and on the mode of communication allowed.

He said the principle also stated that equal services and communications would be allowed to the users at subscribed level of access.

- Bernama