KUALA LUMPUR: The application for the PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia (the Malaysian Family Student Device) package specifically for institutions of higher learning (IPT) students from the bottom 40 per cent income group (B40) families will open from mid-April.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said 400,000 of those students, from either public or private IPT, colleges or community colleges under the Ministry of Higher Education, would benefit from the initiative.
“Students from the poor and B40 families whose parents earn not more than RM4,850 a month can apply for the package which offers mobile devices and internet access which they can use for their studies,” he said when winding up the debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address for the ministry at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.
The PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia package was announced during the tabling of the Budget 2022 in October last year in line with the government’s aspiration to ensure that the people, especially IPT students can use the necessary devices and enjoy internet access at a reasonable cost.
It was an initiative to help the students to attend online learning activities, surf the Internet for research purposes, and send messages to stay connected with their families and friends.
Annuar said the implementation of the initiative would be overseen by a unit under the ministry in collaboration with the Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Ministry of Higher Education, with the first phase expected to roll out in June at the earliest.
“Approval will be given to eligible applicants based on the existing database and if the data is incomplete and their names were left out, they will be allowed to appeal.
“We hope this initiative will get the cooperation and support from all Members of Parliament, Senators, assemblyman, district officers as well as university and college officials to ensure that no one is left behind in this initiative,” he said.
The minister said efforts were also being made to ensure that the devices given free of charge to the students would be of high or equivalent quality with several specifications including having no less than 4GB of RAM service, keyboard and other accessories.
Speaking to reporters after the winding-up session, Annuar said it was also proposed that 10 per cent of the devices under the PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia package be reserved for students under certain categories.
“For example, we may reserve the devices for students from poor or very poor families who are not in the IPT student category. He or she may be pursuing education at a postgraduate or certificate level, but could not afford to buy the devices, or maybe badly affected by disasters…they will also be considered to receive the devices,” he added. – Bernama
