In keeping with its promise to the world of not censoring the Internet, the govt indirectly “censors” by devilishly placing obstacles on the Information Super Highway and slow traffic to a snail’s pace. TMnet conspires by deliberately not spending capital expenditure on hardware and software to expand speed and capacity. Forget the dream of low broadband subscription rates in Malaysia, let alone free WiFi access (ala San Fransico courtesy of Google), as long as TMNet is the sole provider. TMnet works in cahoots with the govt to restrict Internet access only to those who can afford it (the urban minority). Premeditated high subscription costs and pre-engineered inadequate IT infrastructure partly explain the low IT broadband penetration rate in our nation.

Ain’t BN smart in keeping this penetration rate low? No one can ever accuse it of censoring the Internet, even though it does exactly that by making information harder to come by or plain unavailable.

Furthermore, imagine the challenges faced by BN when it finds that it can no longer freely wield its weapons of mass oppression via laws such as ISA, the Printing Presses and Publications Act, the Universities and Colleges Act, etc. If the Internet is widely and
freely accessible, it becomes the Oppositions’ de facto weapon of mass dissemination. BN will not facilitate that. It’s suicidal. And, observe how BN is facing up this to this challenge today - it harasses and intimidates bloggers who write dissenting opinions.

Modern technology grows by leaps and bounds and is in a constant state of flux and evolution. To wait for the next best technology to arrive before jumping uninhibitedly onto the Internet bandwagon is to miss out on all the best opportunities available at any moment to improve and modernise a country’s economy and society.

Singapore, South Korea, Europe, US, and all countries that smartly embrace and utilise information technology are not sitting by idly waiting for the next state-of-the-art technology to help propel them forward. They implement comtemporary technology and
evolve along with the best tools and processes the IT world offers at any time.

Compared to these countries, Malaysia is at least one decade behind in harnessing the power of the Internet in enriching the nation’s social and economic life force. Even if we start utilising the best technology available today, we will still make only baby steps and stumble along. We cannot run if we haven’t learned how to walk first. Dismal as this may seem, it is still not to late to overhaul our IT infrastructure and our broadband access policy. However, if we stubbornly refuse to act, sadly, we will always be a follower instead of a leader, a copycat instead of an innovator, and we will be shunned instead of respected the world over.

47.8% of the population in Malaysia are Internet users in Sep 2006 - says MCMC (http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia/my.htm)

Internet Penetration Rate is 14% in June 2006
Broadband Penetration Rate is 2.5% in June 2006
with
25% of the households connected by 2006
50% of the households connected by 2008
75% of the households connected by 2010
This plan approved by cabinet under Badawi in October 2004.
(http://www.bizit2006.uitm.edu.my/keynotes/Aug10/plenary5/ICT%20Infrastructure%20and%20Services-Rubaiah%20KTAK.pdf)

Broadband Penetration is 5% in December 2005, and should be 15% by 2010, says Lim Keng Yaik
(http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_4346c3c2-cb73c03a-df4bfc00-606b3909)

“In 2004 the number of subscribers was 2.9 million, in 2005 it increased to 3.5 million subscribers, and in 2006 the number of subscribers in Malaysia was close to five million, and should be 10 million by 2012″, says Telekom Malaysia (TM) Bhd General Manager of Strategic Development Division, Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek
(http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia/my.htm)

Malaysian Broadband Penetration is less than 1% in November 2005, and the government wants it to be 10% in 2008, knows the Asia Pacific Research Group.
(http://www.aprg.com/asp/pub_malaybband.asp)

7% of the households had Internet access in Malaysia in 2005, which has increased to 11.7% in September 2007.
Somehow this turns out to be 0.32 broadband access points per 100 inhabitants, being actually 0.32%. [To me, this is a calculation error by ZDNet Asia]
(http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62032069,00.htm)

In summary, under the current government, there seem to be liberties without bounds to issue statements of their liking.

This country is the world champion in setting up plans, as realistic or unrealistic as one can imagine. How about the following one:
There will be 5000 hotspots to free Internet access in 25 major cities, says Lim Keng Yaik.
(http://web20.telecomtv.com/pages/?newsid=41847&id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10&view=news)

Sadly, in the end the delivery is missing:
Malaysia’s broadband services under fire
(http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62028004,00.htm)

So the charade will go on and on and ridiculous pentration rates will be churned out from time to time. AFterall, if our PM can simply churn out economical figures without knowing what it meant, so can his konco2.

Even I can say next year growth will be 5%. Any Dick can say that.

90% of rural votes goes to BN because of the one sided news report that is being publish by our news paper.