Rural telecommunication services, public transportation and energy management in schools came to the fore when members of the Legislative Council (LegCo) deliberated on the budget set for the 12th National Development Plan (RKN 12) during the 20th session of the LegCo meeting yesterday.

Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah said the Unified National Network Sdn Bhd (UNN) has extended its fibre optic network to remote regions in the country.

However, it will “take time” to complete the installation, he added, adding that the Sultanate’s connectivity has surpassed the 90-per-cent mark, with improved latency and adoption of 5G network technology.

The minister was responding to a query from LegCo member Yang Berhormat Awang Haji Sulaiman bin Haji Nasir on connectivity in rural areas.

Meanwhile, LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Haji Awang Suyoi posed the question of energy usage in schools, with some buildings being at least 30 years old. 

In response, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew said that under the RKN 12, BND50 million will be used to kick start energy and water conservation in buildings, and should the budget be insufficient, “we will find other ways”.

LegCo member Yang Berhormat Haji Mohd Salleh bin Haji Othman called for improvement to the electrical service, citing power outages during lightning storms.

The minister noted that electricity supply falls outside of the RKN 12. However, he shared that a BND400 million project has been initiated to ensure reliability and stability of the national electricity supply.

Yesterday also saw a query by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pengiran Haji Isa bin Pengiran Haji Aliuddin regarding plans to beef up the public transportation system, citing public grievances over long waiting time at bus stations or stops, and calling for public transportation to be more elderly-friendly.

Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Yang Berhormat Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha responded by noting the cancellation of a public transportation project in the previous RKN.

He also cited a recent survey where “1,570 participants reported low dependence on public
transportation”.

Meanwhile, LegCo member Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Yusof asked if measures will be carried out to overcome flaws in government construction projects, such as unsatisfactory quality and delay.

Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew responded by sharing that monitoring of construction projects is done through ad-hoc meetings between government agencies. ​

(News & pic source: Borneo Bulletin)