KUALA LUMPUR – Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng is demanding an explanation from the Education Ministry after finding out his constituency was only allocated 277 laptops under the Cerdik programme.
“I’m disappointed that only 277 B40 students in the Bagan constituency received the (Cerdik) laptops. If the 150,000 laptops are distributed evenly to 222 constituencies, each should get 676 laptops.
“According to a letter by Education Minister Datuk Radzi Jidin to me on September 30, only two schools in the Bagan constituency received 277 digital devices and not 676.”
He added that the distribution of the 150,000 devices should be based on need and not other factors.
“There should be a policy where each parliamentary constituency is given at least 500 digital devices, with the rest to be distributed to other constituencies based on need.
“Radzi should explain the criteria for distribution so the people know how it is done.”
On September 24, Radzi had said in a written parliamentary reply that about 25%, or 37,644, of the laptops under the Cerdik initiative promised to B40 students have yet to be distributed.
He added that Yayaysan Hasanah received 16,577 laptops that would be distributed soon.
He said the remaining 21,067 would be handed out as soon as the foundation got the devices.
Of the total 150,000 laptops, 74.9% (112,356) had been distributed as of September 20.
These devices are allocated to students in 910 schools nationwide, with the initiative approved under Budget 2021.
The government was previously lambasted over the slow distribution of the laptops, with students having undergone online learning on and off since the Covid-19 pandemic erupted early last year.
Yayasan Hasanah is the corporate social responsibility arm of government sovereign fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd. – The Vibes, October 6, 2021
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