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KULAI: Contractors involved in Phase One of the National Digital Network Plan (Jendela) project may face penalties the next time they apply for an extension of time (EOT), says the Communications Ministry.
Its Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching said her Ministry is studying the possibility of imposing late delivery interest on contractors seeking further extensions to deliver the project.
"Phase One of the project has yet to be completed. We have had many discussions with them (contractors) and given them EOT to complete the project.
"It is not fair for users who are waiting for the services.
"As such, we are discussing with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) if there is a need to impose a late delivery fee on contractors wanting to extend the timeline further.
"We will decide on whether to impose the penalty when we receive an EOT application from the contractor. It will be on a case-by-case basis," she said in a press conference here.
Teo, who is also Kulai MP, said this to the press during the Kulai parliament office's health screening programme at Dewan Terbuka Hutan Bandar Putra.
She added that her Ministry is also studying the latest methods and technologies for the second phase of the project.
"We will study the latest technologies in preparation for phase two of the project as there may be technologies that were not available when the first phase of the project was launched.
"The Ministry also wants to ensure that we do not face the same problem when working on the second phase of the project," she said.
Jendela was launched in September 2020 to provide quality broadband coverage and boost Internet access nationwide.
It also aimed to provide fibre optic broadband access to nine million premises, expand 4G coverage in all populated areas, and increase broadband speeds to 100 Mbps by the end of 2025.
On an unrelated matter, Teo also urged the public to refer to the Health Ministry for reliable information about health matters, including the spread of diseases such as Mpox.
"Every time there are new concerns about any kind of disease, we will have people spreading misleading and inaccurate information on social media.
"I urge the public to refer to the Health Ministry on such matters as they are the authority to make the relevant announcement.
"The Health Ministry will not hide anything from the public as this is a matter of public health. Most importantly, do not share information that we are unsure of," she said, adding that her Ministry will also work closely with the Health Ministry to ensure that the public receives accurate health information.
Earlier, the Health Ministry debunked a viral post on social media about the alleged spread of mpox in Singapore.
The Ministry said the image was actually of a victim who was shot with a birdshot or buckshot (lead shot used in shotgun shells) and originated from an overseas website dated Sept 17, 2022.
