MCMC to review 5G coverage disparity among telcos, says Fahmi
CYBERJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will examine the disparity in 5G Coverage of Populated Areas (CoPA) among telecommunications companies (telcos) in different locations, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said that although Malaysia has achieved an overall 92 per cent 5G CoPA nationwide, coverage levels vary significantly between telcos.
"Some telcos have CoPA as low as 76 per cent, while others go up to 86 per cent," he told reporters after officiating the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2025 celebration here today.
Fahmi said he had instructed MCMC to provide detailed reports showing both the national aggregate and individual telco CoPA, broken down by state.
"We want to make sure that when Malaysians pay for Internet packages, they receive coverage across the country - not just in selected areas. We're paying for nationwide access," he said.
Fahmi stressed that 5G services must be available throughout Malaysia, and that the government had been actively working to enhance network-sharing among telcos.
"I've worked hard to get all telcos to participate in network sharing, and we formalised this through a recently published framework," he said.
On another development, Fahmi said the soon-to-be-enforced Online Safety Act (OnSA) 2024 would play a crucial role in holding social media platforms accountable for the content they host, particularly in protecting users from scams and online harm.
He emphasised that OnSA would compel platforms to share the responsibility of ensuring a safer digital environment.
"One of the key objectives is to make sure that social media platforms are responsible for the kind of content available on their platforms," he said.
Fahmi also raised concern over the lack of action by major platforms, especially Facebook, in tackling scam and gambling advertisements, despite these being paid content.
"For example, there are many scam and gambling ads, yet Facebook hasn't done enough to remove them - simply because scammers are paying for them," he said.
"As such, we're waiting for the Online Safety Act to receive royal assent, and once it comes into effect, we believe that the OnSA will play a pivotal role," he added.
Passed by Parliament in December last year, the OnSA will require social media platform providers to meet three core responsibilities: ensuring platform safety, protecting children under the age of 13, and limiting access to harmful content.
Platforms will also be required to issue clear user guidelines, including terms of use, and provide mechanisms for users to report harmful or offensive content.
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2 hours ago
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YOURSAY | 'Will vegetables be next?' SST on imported fruits pose nutritional risks, consumer groups warn World Citizen: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has very bad advisors. As it is, consumers are already paying very high prices for imported fruits (and also local fruits) and imposing this five percent sales tax will only make things worse. On the one hand, people are encouraged to consume more fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, the ill-advised government wants to artificially raise the price of fruits. This is a total contradiction. The first thing this government should understand is not to raise the prices of food by imposing taxes. Instead, the government should do everything to keep the prices of food down and not the other way around, because the nation needs a healthy population, not a malnourished one. This is very basic. Food is never a luxury. It is essential unless it is of an exclusive category. Apples, oranges, and pears are not in the luxurious category. Talking about local fruits, what is the government doing about their high prices? Papayas, pineapples, guavas, and durians are very expensive compared to before, and it is cheaper to eat imported apples and oranges. This government is blind to facts and lacks people with grey matter. Plebeian: Malaysia has an extraction economy. Extraction from the ground and from its people. We keep getting taxed more and more for everything, but experience no improvements in the quality of life. Instead, what we do get in return for higher taxation is pollution and environmental degradation, abysmal urban planning, unsafe roads, a wretched public healthcare system, poorly maintained recreational facilities, horrible libraries, etc. Money going into a sinkhole. TaaS: Another 'great' reform by the government to improve livelihood and cost of living. 'Bill' the people again. Fruits are an essential part of a daily diet and nutrient intake. So are vegetables. It does not matter if imported or locally produced. Malaysia is a country which grows only tropical fruits, and very limited fruits are grown in higher areas of Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands. These essential products, therefore, must be free from taxes. Is the government going so low by going after daily necessities while going on a spending spree to protect race and religion? Will vegetables be next? Observer from Space: Hardworking Malaysians have time and again been pressed hard to pay more taxes to shore up a corrupt and bloated government! It's every citizen's right to eat fruits that are grown within the country and imported. It looks like these are now exclusively for the elite and corrupt. Anwar should listen and learn from Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's speech after his party's win at the recent general election. Specifically, he reminded his cabinet and himself that they are all servants to the citizens. Humble Opinion: I kindly urge the government to consider removing taxes on essential fruits such as apples and oranges. These fruits are a staple of a healthy diet and should be affordable for all Malaysians, especially ordinary families who strive to put nutritious food on the table. By eliminating these taxes, we can promote healthier lifestyles, reduce the burden on household budgets, make fresh produce more accessible to every community across the country, and also affect the well-being of many. BrownGoose2196: By raising imported fruit prices, the fruit sellers will automatically raise the selling prices of local fruits. As it is now, a piece of guava or mango is even more expensive than a piece of apple. Inflation is definite. All because the government wants to increase tax collections to cover large financial deficits, and the untouchables who have been squandering our money. Mhc9b23: I don't get it! We are trying to budget to eat as healthily as we can afford to, so some of these imported fruits are not a luxury but a necessity for our long-term health and well-being. We'd rather eat healthily to keep healthy than suffer later and pay for medical expenses. For one, uncontrolled usage of pesticides, especially in cultivating certain local fruits, is killing us. The other option is to go for organically grown fruits and also pay a premium. Please consider the people, our young and seniors in the family, who are trying and struggling to eat healthily before making and implementing such decisions. Zaheed: Fruits, whether local or imported, are essential and should not be slapped with sales tax. It is an essential foodstuff with nutrients and an essential part of keeping healthy. What is wrong with Madani? The local suppliers have very limited items, and that is too often in short supply. The good fruits are almost always exported while the locals get the C-grade ones. HJ Angus: All this just shows how complicated the Sales and Services Tax (SST) is, and trying to please different folks. A universal tax, like the goods and services tax (GST), is more efficient with all consumers having to contribute. VioletBeetle0699: Avocado is a healthy fruit that provides a lot of nutritional benefits. It is sad to see the government fail to realise this and make stupid statements instead. The government will just tell you to eat palm oil, then. OrangeBird5803: There should be SST on sugar, flour, and oil. Overconsumption of these items is killing Malaysians. The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
