KUALA LUMPUR – After some delays, the government will finally begin rolling out the distribution of free tablets to university students from B40 families beginning this month.
Communication and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said this will be possible following the completion of the re-tendering process under the PerantiSiswa programme last month by the Finance Ministry.
According to Annuar, Samsung has been appointed as the sole provider of the free tablets, with the Galaxy Tab A8 LTE mid-range model selected for distribution.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat today, he said that for the first phase of the roll-out, approximately 350,000 units which have been ordered are expected to be distributed starting at the end of this month.
Beneficiaries in the first phase will include B40 students who are undertaking diploma and degree programmes at public and private institutions. These include universities, polytechnics, community colleges, teachers’ training institutes, and the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage of Malaysia.
Separately, he said that the government will accept new applications for the tablets starting today under an expansion of the PerantiSiswa programme.
B40 students pursuing foundation studies, matriculation programmes, vocational diplomas, as well as those in Form 6 are qualified to apply by September 30.
He said this in response to a question from Lukanisman Awang Sauni (Sibuti-GPS) on the status of PerantiSiswa and how many tablets are expected to be distributed under the initiative.
The PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia package was announced during the tabling of Budget 2022 in October last year, in line with the government’s aspiration to ensure that the people, especially students of higher learning institutions, have the necessary devices and can enjoy internet access at a reasonable cost.
It is also an initiative to help the students attend online learning activities, surf the Internet for research purposes, and send messages to stay connected with their families and friends.
Previously in May, Annuar had announced that the distribution would be delayed from the initially scheduled June period, after the tender awarded to the initial supplier was cancelled by the Finance Ministry.
Responding to other supplementary questions from the floor, Annuar said that to ensure the devices provided are reliable, all tablets will come with a two-year warranty. Students will also be able to exchange their devices should there be any issue.
Separately, the minister said that students who receive the tablets are able to hold on to them throughout the period of their education.
"We have also set a condition with the supplier for a buy-back policy,” he said, explaining that each device that is returned to the supplier will bear financial value if done within the stipulated period. – The Vibes, August 4, 2022
