SAPP: Internet users not getting fair deal

SAPP Youth Exco Clement Lee demands Datuk Dr. Yee Moh Chai, the Resource Development and Information Technology Minister to explain why most of the internet users are not getting the speed that they have paid for from Telekom Malaysia (TM) in Sabah?

"Today, we are living in the borderless world where access to the internet is akin to bread and butter in our daily lives especially at our work place.

He lamented there are a lot of internet users who are frustrated and disappointed with the poor and unreliable bandwidth service provided by our Internet Service Provider TM which caused them to suffer losses in their daily business activities, for example,when a company which is doing a Web Hosting Service for their clients by selling their products online. Another example like when a company secretary would like to send an email attachment for a project plan to her boss in Australia.

"The ministry concerned should ensure that the broadband service provider TM have adequate facilities and infrastructure in place to meet the broadband package specifications before they offer to sell their services to the customers. For example a 1Mbps broadband subscriber from TM only receive with an unfairly lower internet speed which is only 135Kbps upload speed, less than and almost 90% dropped from 1Mbps broadband speed that he/she subscribed in Sabah. (See attached Picture captured on 11.30pm, 4 April 2012)

"Furthermore, there is a lot of hassle when making a complain to the TM hotline 1300889515 when the users facing internet problems connectivity which they need to wait for at least 20-30 minutes on the phone just to file a complaint and the worst still when their complaints does not solve and need to repeating calling the TM hotline again and again.

"We advise Datuk Dr. Yee to do a spot check on the broadband service providers frequently instead of sleeping on his duties in the office but not seriously and sincerely in solving the problems faced by the internet users in Sabah which has been shortchanging users for so many years.

"What is the point of increasing the number of internet users and taking in more subscribers in Sabah while the quality of services provided are poor and users are not getting the speed that they have paid for which will only benefited the broadband service providers company to reap more profits?" Clement Lee asked.

"Additionally, most of the users in Sabah are unhappy that Malaysian broadband services are the most expensive in Asia-Pacific region. Example being the 1 mbps package which costs RM88 while Singapore charges RM35 and Vietnam RM57 (http://m.insightsabah.gov.my/article/read/126 or http://www.ida.gov.sg/publications/20061213184450.aspx).

"SAPP is committed and has planned for a solution in providing broadband services at reasonable price, more reliable and readily available to people even in the rural areas when we form the next government," said Clement.