Rapu said school fibre broadband services worth RM53.6 million remained unutilised since their completion between 2013 and 2017, citing a recent auditor-general’s report.

“This represents a massive waste of public funds. Imagine how many schools, clinics or roads could have been built with that money.

“More concerning is that some of this infrastructure has been reported as abandoned, with severed cable connections and damaged equipment. This is not just wasteful, but also an unacceptable negligence.

“This lack of high-speed internet access severely hampers the ability of students in rural areas to develop essential digital skills,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.

Rapu said this should not be brushed off as a “technical issue” but as a case of negligence and a significant obstacle to better education for all.

He was referring to the 2024 auditor-general’s (A-G) report, in which 597 schools were inspected and 337 were found to be still using outdated 4G broadband technology despite the completion of the point of presence (PoP) project.

The PoP project, part of the national digital education policy, was designed to bridge the digital divide by providing high-speed fibre optic broadband to schools and surrounding areas.

However, Rapu said, the A-G’s report revealed that the majority of these schools remained on the education ministry’s “internet service interim package”, which limits their ability to upgrade their internet subscription.

The ministry has responded by saying efforts are underway to ensure all schools have high-speed internet, with ongoing efforts to complete ICT infrastructure upgrades.