A total of 17,927 units of netbooks have been distributed to eligible students under the first phase of the 1Malaysia Netbook programme in Pahang, the State Assembly was told today.

State Information, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman, Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin, said the netbooks were distributed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) through 37 Community Broadband Centres.

He said the recipients under the first phase comprised those in schools located near the PJK, while other schools would get theirs under the second phase of the programme next month.

"The distribution of the netbooks has helped us to achieve the target of 50 percent household broadband penetration by end of the year," he said in response to a question by Abu Bakar Harun (BN-Chini) on the distribution of the 1Malaysia netbooks to students in the state.

Mohd Sharkar said for the implementation of the second phase of the 1Malaysia netbook programme, a state-level committee comprising MCMC, the State Education Department and the District Education Office had been formed to coordinate the matter.

Possible abuse

Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Joseph Salang has in September raised concern that the programme could be abused.

He cited the example of teachers in Sarawak who he claimed gave preference to their own children in the distribution of free netbooks under the 1Malaysia Computer Programme.

As part of the National Broadband Initiative which seeks to enhance broadband access to more people in the country, Telekom Malaysia Berhad, in collaboration with the government, launched the broadband and netbook package specifically for low-income households.

To be eligible to subscribe for the Broadband with Netbook Package, the potential subscriber must be from households with a monthly income of RM3,000 and below for rural residents and RM5,000 and below for urban dwellers.

Salang said the first phase of the 1Malaysia computer programme involved the distribution of 123,000 netbooks, and the ministry was in the process of distributing 500,000 more units under the second phase.

Meanwhile, state Agriculture, Agrobased Industry and Felda Affairs Committee chairman Tan Mohd Aminuddin Ishak said the state government had frozen the issuing of new licences for fishing boats to preserve and regulate fish resources in Pahang.

He was responding to a question by Syed Mohammad Tuan Lonnik (PAS-Beserah) on the issuing of boat licence to fishermen.

- Bernama