The Education Ministry today said it had expected the low usage of five percent of its 1Bestari Net educational project for schools.

 

It cost RM663 million and was criticised in the Auditor-General's Report 2013.

 

Parents, pupils and school teachers have to get familiar with its programmes, said director-general Khair Mohamad Yusof.

 

"At the early stage, five percent usage is expected," he said, adding that when the teachers begin to upload more content, usage will leap.

 

As such, its secretary general Madinah Mohamad denied that the 1Bestari Net project will turn into a white elephant, as claimed by DAP parlimentarian Zairil Khir Johari, who had called for government to stop the project.

 

"The government has invested RM663 million, we are not going to stop and we will make full use of it.

"We have to see a return on the investment," she said at a townhall session with the media to explain issues relating to the third series of the Auditor-General’s Report 2013, tabled in Parliament on Nov 9.

 

"I believe this project is not a failure. This project is planned for 15 years - we have just completed two and a half years," she asserted.

The auditor-general's reports had criticised that the 1Bestari Net project, which also includes a virtual learning environment (VLE), that cost the bulk of the spending, is rarely used by teachers and students.

 

However, as of October, the use of VLE among teachers, pupils and parents has increased to 69.3 percent, 33 percent and three percent respectively, said Madinah.

 

The townhall meeting was called by government chief secretary Ali Hamsa and attended by various government heads. Among them were auditor-general Amrin Buang and Public Services Department director-general Mohamad Zaibidi Zainal.

 

Non-halal food no longer served

Meanwhile the Ministry of Tourism and Culture said it will no longer serve non-halal food following a reprimand from Auditor-General's Report, which criticised the ministry's Fabulous Food 1Malaysia (FF1M) 2013 event on Nov 29 at Jalan Alor, for serving bak kut teh.

 

The issue was that there was no segregation of halal and non-halal food, said its secretary general Ong Hong Peng.

 

"There is no such issue in 2014, as we have already ensured that all food served is halal," he said.

 

While the ministry will continue to promote multi-ethnic food, only halal Chinese dishes will appear in the exposition, he said.

 

"National unity is of utmost importance and can't be compromised. The sensitivity of the various races need to be taken into consideration.

 

"We have learnt a lesson here and we will move on. We will ensure that the same issue will not arise," he noted.

 

The ministry will now not only promote street food, but will also feature participants from hotels and other stakeholders.

 

The auditor-general's report had ticked off the ministry over the presence of bak kut teh and other non-halal food at a government-sponsored food festival.

 

"It was found that these shops were not segregated and placed side-by-side to stalls that were selling halal food," stated the report.

 

The report added that the tourism ministry should take cognisance of the country's multi-racial and multi-religious make up.

Related stories

Auditor-general says no reason to audit 1MDB

TI-M: Take legal action on YTL for 1Bestari Net

MPs accuse Anwar, Pua of 'misleading' House

PKR refers Ahmad Maslan to rights panel

Are support letters adding to unrecorded debts?

1MDB support letter is legally binding

Gov't still rewarding failed incinerator contractor

Ministry: No problem working with MACC

Selangor households lowest recipient of aid

'Check finances of Perak BN reps' wives club'

PKR Youth: Justify Youth Day bills, gov’t told

Umno delegates must confront Najib on 1MDB