I like to bring to your attention the latest scheme by a local giant which has its hands in telecommunications, hotels, property and power generatiion (IPP) amongst others, to utilise government facilities to roll out its broadband scheme.

The most recent is to provide broadband to all 10,000 schools and utilise the schools' infrastructure to build its towers and microwave transmission base stations. I have information that the Education Ministry has been instructed by the Prime Minister’s Office to award the expired Schoolnet programme to this company.

This will allow this local multi-national to speed up its broadband roll out with the aid of government funds. The deal was struck between the prime minister and the company’s CEO-cum-owner in London a couple of months ago.

The ministry already has plans to award the Schoolnet broadband service to various players utilising fibre optics, wireless and satellites under its own architecture since last year. The new Schoolnet is budgeted to cost RM2.5 billion over the next five years.

The latest moves by the government is very bad for the industry and shows the non-transparency in government. We are not sure what will be the details and terms between this major corporation and the government but historically the large conglomerates have managed to shove their way in and make the most of government funds such as in the IPP deals.

I also heard that the Schoolnet cheme may also go to other ministries and government agencies.

Some friends in the education ministry and the MCMC have been threatened to not sensationalise the plan although most of the senior officers are against it. Some have been warned to resign if they do not agree with the scheme.

I hope that the public are aware that their money is being ‘robbed’ from them by large corporations. The worse is that the scheme involves the education sector where the money could be saved and used for better programme to upgrade the education of our younger generations.