Communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa said the Malaysian Family Youth and the Malaysian Family Device internet packages were introduced to help teenagers and students, especially the less fortunate, to gain internet access and have affordable smart devices.
He said both discount packages will be available from Oct 15 for six months.
“The Malaysian Family Youth Package is a prepaid package specifically for teenagers and students, including postgraduate students. At only RM10 a month (that comes to a payment of RM30 for three months), they will get 20GB for three months.
“They will also get 1GB free for productivity activities daily, as well as unlimited basic internet. With this package, users can perform activities such as sending messages and surfing the internet,” he said.
He said this at a press conference to announce the discount package for university students here today.
Annuar said the package was also suitable for productivity data, online learning and those working from home.
“For 20GB data, it can also be used for downloading videos or online games,” he added.
He said the package is more convenient for teenagers and students as they do not have to top up the value every month.
Teenagers and students below 21 only need to register with their MyKad, while students aged 21 and above are required to register for the package using their student card, he said.
On the people’s need for smart devices, which he said was now a necessity, one now could own or upgrade to mobile devices and Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) for free through the Malaysian Family Device Package.
“The device can be owned with a subscription of as low as RM40 per month through a contract for 12 to 24 months depending on the type of device and service subscribed.
“This package includes 1GB of free data for productivity activities. Each eligible user can subscribe to up to two packages by registering under one identity card,” he said.
Annuar hoped that more families would take advantage of the package to own 4G and VoLTE mobile devices to complement their internet services.
He said the package was provided to meet the people’s need for better connectivity, affordable price and better quality delivery, especially during the national recovery plan, which saw a sharp increase in internet usage for various activities such as education, e-commerce and entertainment.
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has internet access at an affordable cost, he said, adding that he had met with telcos to discuss ways to provide the people with better connectivity.