Netbook initiative under scrutiny

By TODAYonline

Malaysia will put in place measures to ensure that students who are given the 1Malaysia netbook do not sell it off for a quick buck, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has said.

The government has distributed more than 100,000 netbooks and broadband subscriptions to students under the National Broadband Inititative, The New Straits Times reported. Mr Muhiyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said that teachers would conduct checks to ensure that students in rural areas and from low-income families continue using their netbooks.

The Universal Service Provision Fund, which financed the netbook initiative, has come under scrutiny in Parliament after ministers were asked to account for the use of the funds to improve Internet connectivity.