Education Ministry insists not extending 1BestariNet contract

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 — Senior Minister Mohd Radzi Jidin said the Education Ministry did not plan to extend YTL Communications’ contract for the 1BestariNet virtual learning platform.

He confirmed this in a written parliamentary reply to Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman (PH-Muar).

“The contract for Phase 2 1BestariNet between the government and YTLC ended on June 30, 2019 and the ministry does not intend to extend this.

“For now, the ministry has provided Internet connectivity via the interim Internet service package with three Internet service providers, which are Telekom Malaysia Berhad, Celcom Mobile Sdn Bhd and Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd.” Radzi said.

The former youth and sports minister submitted an oral question yesterday on why the ministry was persisting with 1BestariNet that he said was costing it millions in losses.

YTL Communications continued operating the network without charge despite the expiry of its contract in 2019.

Its chief executive officer, Wing K. Lee, said the company did not want to disrupt the virtual learning platform for students and teachers, and did not expect the contract to be renewed without an open tender.

YTL won the 1BestariNet contract in 2011 to provide internet services and a virtual learning platform to 10,000 schools in the country over a period of 15 years.

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