KUALA LUMPUR – The second Starlink internet device has been installed at Kg Orang Asli Hulu Kemensah near here today, according to Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
In a Facebook post, the minister said the area is the first Orang Asli settlement chosen to be installed with the Starlink device, and the second location after the Universiti Teknologi Mara campus in Kuala Pilah, Negri Sembilan last month.
Fahmi said the existing internet quality in the Orang Asli settlement was very poor and almost non-existent despite having 135 people residing in the area.
“My objective remains the same, which is to ensure that the remaining 3% of populated areas without the internet are given priority,” he said.
At present, 97% of populated areas in the country have internet access.
In the post, Fahmi also said that he has asked the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to conduct further studies on long-term solutions, including tower construction and fibre-optic installation.
“May this internet service bring a new light to the local residents,” he said.
On July 15, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was reported as saying that the government planned to install 40 satellite internet devices from Starlink at higher education institutions around the country to help students unable to study due to unreliable Internet connectivity.
Anwar said the decision was made during his virtual meeting with SpaceX chief executive officer Elon Musk recently. – Bernama, August 11, 2023
