MOE FINALISING PROPOSED SOLUTION TO 1BESTARINET PROJECT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Education (MoE) is in the final stages of preparing a proposed solution for the 1BestariNet service project, which will be submitted to the Cabinet to decide on the next direction.

Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the government is committed to resolving the issue.

"No legal action has been filed by the government so far. The commitment from the MADANI Government is to ensure that past issues can be resolved and we leave it to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate," he said during an oral question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah (PN-Langkawi) regarding the 1BestariNet project and what action has been taken against the company that was awarded the tender.

Wong said the 1Bestarinet project is a government initiative carried out through the MoE to replace and improve the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) network system in schools.

It was an initiative intended as an improvement to the SchoolNet service that ended on Dec 12, 2011, by emphasising the end-to-end network service aspect and Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

He said the Ministry of Finance, through a letter dated Nov 23, 2011, agreed to offer the 1BestariNet Phase 1 service tender to YTL Communications Sdn Bhd (YTLC).

Wong said the project was implemented from Dec 13,  2011, to June 12, 2014, for the Phase 1 contract and June 13, 2014,  to  June 30, 2016, for the Interim Phase Contract and then on July 1, 2016,  to June 30, 2019, for the Phase 2 Contract.

He said a total of 9,828 schools were supplied with the 1BestariNet service throughout the project.

 For the purpose, he said, YTLC had built 2,748 communication towers within the school premises,  including 1,143 structures built on land owned by the Federal Commissioner of Land (PTP) while 1,605 structures were built on school premises not owned by PTP.

"The 1BestariNet Phase 2 agreement expired on June 30, 2019, but there are issues that have not been resolved which are related to the site rental rate and electricity charges for the 1BestariNet Receiver Integrated System (1BRIS) towers involving 2,748 towers," he said.

Wong said that in 2019, the MoE planned to negotiate with the company regarding the site rental rate and electricity charges for the 1BestariNet tower, but the negotiations did not materialise because YTLC applied for leave to initiate a judicial review against the government.

YTLC withdrew the application on Oct 5, 2021, following negotiations were held, he said.

He said on March 17, 2023, a Cabinet Note regarding the Proposed Resolution of the 1BRIS Communication Tower Site Rental and Electricity Charges for the 1BestariNet Phase 2 and Post-1BestariNet Service Project was tabled.

-- BERNAMA