PAC: 1BestariNet project should be scrapped

KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Accounts Commitee said that the Education Ministry should cancel the RM4.1bil 1Bestarinet project in schools nationwide as the first phase of the project was poorly delivered.

PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the first phase of the project, although completed at the cost RM633mil, did not yield the expected results.

"In our opinion, it is still incomplete because it did not deliver the service it was supposed to," he told reporters after chairing a PAC meeting here in Parliament, Tuesday.

However, he said the decision whether or not to proceed with the project, which was awarded to YTL Communications Sdn Bhd via an open tender, lies with the Ministry.

"At the end of the day, the implementation of the first phase was poor and it shouldn't be continued. But it is up to the Ministry because they are the people in charge," he said.

Nur Jazlan, who is also Pulai MP, said that the project, which was aimed at providing high-speed 4G broadband across all 10,000 schools in the country, did not meet its target.

"The school children, teachers and parents still cannot access the system," he said.

He said the PAC inquiry on Tuesday also involved Education Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Madinah Mohamad.

However, he said Madinah was only appointed to her position in 2013, two years after the project was initiated.

"We wanted to know what she is going to do in the future. But according to her, the project will continue," he said.

He said the PAC will call three more witnesses, namely the former Education secretary-general, former Education director-general and former project management officer.

He said PAC hopes to complete the investigation by next month.

The 1Bestarinet project, which was expected to be completed over 15 years in three phases, came to the spotlight when the Auditor-General's Report 2013 showed irregularities regarding its execution.