Following my questions posed to Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture, the Deputy Minsiter YB Datuk Joseph Sallang Gandum has informed Parliament as follows (just got the exact names of the company involved in the netbook computers fiasco):
Service providers:
Telekom Malaysia Bhd;
Maxis Mobile;
Celcom Axiata;
Digi Telecommunications;
REDtone-CNX Broadband;
EB Technoloogies;
Danawa Resources; and
Packet One Networks.
Suppliers of netbook computers:
Mutiara Smart Computing;
Nadi Ayu Technologies;
Hidaka Construction;
Hewlett Packard (HP) Malaysia;
Acer;
Lenovo;
Samsung Malaysia Electronics;
Mega 2 Trade; and
Hydranics Technologie.
I have raised several issues regarding the abused of USP fund and asking for the current balance of USP fund but the said Deputy Minsiter was unable to provide immediate answers on 2-11-2010. However, he has promised in Parliament that he will provide written answers to my questions. Until this day, I have yet to receive any writtten reply from the Ministry. It seems that MCMC was more interested in public relation exercises rather than providing answers to Parliament.
Today MCMC saw it fit to call for a press conference in its office to aswers questions that I have raised in Parliament with regards to the abused of USP fund and supplying of netbook computers. It is most unfortunate that MCMC chose to reply in their airconditioned office and not in Parliament. MCMC is duty bound to provide answers to questions raised in Parliament. MCMC should stop wasting public fund wwith its useless public relation exercise of this morning. The problems shall remain in Parlaiment until I received satisfactory replies from the Minsitry regarding the abused of USP Fund and etc.
MCMC should show respect to Parliament the highest body in Malaysia. MCMC should pass their answers to the Minister for him to reply in Parliament whereby furhter questions can be posed if the answers were unsatisfactory.
Until this day, the Ministry and MCMC are not telling Malaysians what is the exact balance of the USP fund and what is the refund paid by the Ministry under USP to the suppliers or service providers for each netbook computers given to the students.
For a start, MCMC was very wrong to have embarked on the supplying of netbook computers to students in the rural areas when the its prime objective was to implement IT infrastructure works in the rural areas first. MCMC has miserably failed in its dutes by putting the cart before the horse by supplying netbook computers without internet connectivity to majority of the rural areas.
Well, I shall bring up the above issues relating to the Ministry and MCMC regarding the abused of USP fund during the Committee Stage of the Budget 2011 Debate in Parliament.
