B40 tertiary students from low-income families can get a free tablet!
Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul stated in his Budget 2022 announcement that the government will work with the communications company to launch Peranti Siswa Keluarga Malaysia, an Internet access device for tertiary students in Malaysia. The beneficiaries will be provided with tablet computers.
Under the Peranti Siswa Keluarga Malaysia program, the government will contribute RM450 million and the communications company will contribute RM65 million, which is expected to benefit 600,000 tertiary students from B40 low-income families.
The government has not yet stated how to define a tertiary student from a B40 low-income family, but it is believed that it will be conditional on the receipt of the aid. If the parents of the student have received BPR, BKC or BKM assistance, then they are eligible to receive the tablet.
Some senators have criticized the government for not giving out tablets, but rather laptops, which are more practical than tablets.
