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By Amanda L
KUCHING, May 18: The recent failure to access to Budi Madani RON95 (BUDI95) subsidy payment transactions in Samarahan Division has been due to fibre optic cable damage, scheduled power shutdowns and network limitations.
According to Minister for Utilities and Telecommunications Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi, the disruptions affected digital transactions in several locations, including a petrol station in Asajaya.
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He said investigations by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and service providers found that fibre optic cables were damaged by third parties, while some outages were linked to scheduled electricity shutdowns carried out for development works.
“That is why users were unable to access subsidised fuel at a petrol station in Asajaya, as both the main and backup connections relied on mobile networks.
“Under best practice, a fixed line such as Unifi should serve as the primary connection, with mobile used as backup.
“This must be clearly understood by all parties concerned,” he said during his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUS) complex today.
It is believed his remarks were in response to Asajaya assemblyman Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah who on May 9, had expressed concerns over internet reliability in suburban and semi-rural areas, including Asajaya and Sadong Jaya, and calls for improved network coverage and stability.
On May 9, Abdul Karim who is also Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts urged relevant ministries and agencies to address persistent internet issues in suburban and semi-rural areas, saying attention should not be focused only on urban centres as nearby communities still faced poor coverage.
He added that weak connectivity was already disrupting daily life, including the use of the BUDI95 subsidy system at petrol stations, and called for improved network coverage. — DayakDaily
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