COMMENT Since my article on poor Internet connection was published yesterday, I have been receiving a lot of comments from readers who know me.

One particular friend said that in both Vietnam and formerly communist Cambodia, the Internet speed is so much faster than in Malaysia.

Even Thailand is enjoying much better Internet connectivity than Malaysia, he added. Because of our low Internet speed, Skype teleconferencing with another Internet user in Thailand, for example, often get disconnected.

Another friend from Sarawak said it is a shame to the country’s leadership that people in his state are still lagging behind because the Internet connectivity in the state is still a “remote dream.”

Countries like Singapore are even considering going for higher Internet connection speeds and providing it free to its citizens.

“Yet, we are boasting that Malaysia has one of the highest rates of Internet penetration in the world,” he said.

Widespread problem

Someone else asked me why I was only highlighting my complaint about ABNXcess. “What about Celcom?” she griped.

While someone told me that Yes is one of the better service providers, a neighbour of mine had complained: “Our office in Bandar Utama near Curve installed the service, but we could hardly use the Internet!”

When I recently visited Sarawak, I brought along a U-Mobile dongle, hoping that I could remain in touch with my family while I was there. Sadly, even U-Mobile did not have good coverage in most parts of Sarawak, which made me wonder why there could not be sharing of services by all the telcos.

I may not have elaborated in my earlier article, but for one whole year, I had to continuously raise my complaints with Celcom after signing up for its broadband services. Copies of the complaints were also sent to the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission, but its services did not improve.

The difference between the bigger boys like Maxis and Celcom, ABNXcess has shown to me that, at least, the senior people within the organisation have the political will to improve. Improvement can only happen when you have proactive leaders helming the organisation.

For this reason, I do not believe I would terminate the services after the recent “bad” connectivity. For this reason, I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone who encounters Internet connectivity with their current telco.

Despite my problems, I can bet that not a single CEO from Maxis, Celcom or TM Net would respond to my email the way the ABNXcess CEO wrote his email at past midnight. It may take a little longer for them to reach the number of subscribers as Unifi, but I am sure that the people in the drivers’ seat will be able to bring the organisation to the next level. They do not appear to me as people resting on their laurels doing nothing.

Political will

It is the political will, or the lack of it, that is causing our Internet infrastructure to remain one of top 10 slowest in the world.

One can argue that techbiggy.com is not a credible source, but who cares, especially when at least seven out of 10 people who use the Internet locally will have complaints one time or another. I suspect that the figure could be even higher.

After all, the Communications and Multimedia Ministry is responsible for regulating the telcos, but one minister after another has come and gone, what impact have their made to the thrust to make Malaysia a power in e-economy in the region? Or, was this just more hype during the former prime minister’s era?

This is one question that the present minister, Ahmad Shabery Cheek, will have to answer to the public. Or, will he even bother to communicate the government’s plan to further enhance the Internet infrastructure in both the peninsula and in Sabah and Sarawak?

After all, we are 1Malaysia, no? Why is it not possible for news of any political development in peninsula Malaysia to be available to both Sabahans and Sarawakians at the click of a button?

Or, as one reader pointed out, is it the deliberate intention to leave the East Malaysian natives behind in the growth of the digital economy?

Why have we not reached a level that we can proudly tell the world that the Internet speed in Malaysia is one of the top 20 in the world, notwithstanding that the top 10 are currently for countries which are more advanced than Malaysia?

After all, high speed Internet connectivity will mean more business can be conducted online and teleconferencing can be done without the hassle of travelling from one country to another at least to carry out the preliminary work. Because of this, people would choose Singapore to set up their regional base.

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.