Communications and Multimedia Minister (MenKomm) Annuar Musa revealed that the PerantiSiswa programme will be open for applications starting this Friday, 15th April 2022. Under the programme, B40 students studying in institutions of higher learning can request a tablet for their educational needs through an online portal. Confirming our previous report, the PerantiSiswa tablets are offered on a loan basis and students must return them after they have finished their studies.
According to the Minister, 400,000 B40 students will benefit from the programme, which is 33% less than the initial announcement made by the Finance Minister. Under Budget 2022, the government has allocated a total of RM450 million for the PerantiSiswa programme. Annuar said the programme is based on the concept of free use throughout their period of study but it is non-transferable as the tablets are registered as government property.
He added that students can soon begin applying for the tablet which will be delivered to their place of study. It is also possible to request home delivery if they are currently not on campus. Annuar also shared students studying in distance learning programmes can also apply but they must register with their university and get a matrix number.
Although applications are open from 15th April 2022, the distribution of tablets is expected to begin in the second week of June. In the first phase, 60% of the total number of recipients will get the tablets first with priority given to students that have submitted complete data. The next distribution phase is expected to start 60 days later and it will cover appeal cases. More details of the application process are expected to be revealed by the end of this week.
Without providing further details on the actual hardware, the Minister said the tablets are from established brands in the market and would come with a warranty. He previously said that the PerantiSiswa tablets will have at least a 10.1″ screen and 4GB of RAM, along with a keyboard and stylus included. After teasing the tablets on Twitter last week, netizens have scrutinised the tablets and have called upon the Minister to share the actual hardware specs.
The Minister responded that the photos shared were for illustration purposes only and his Ministry is committed to provide quality tablets from trusted brands. He also said over 100 companies are involved in the bidding process and the tender for the PerantiSiswa tablets will be carried out openly so that they will get the best deal.
If the tablets are going to be offered on a loan basis, it is crucial that the tablets should be able to last for at least three years. At the moment, Apple’s iPad is still the gold standard for tablets for its hardware and software longevity. For example, the five-year-old iPad Air 2 and 5th gen iPad from 2017 still supports the latest iPadOS 15. While there are affordable Android options in the market, it is not easy to find one that still receives operating system and security updates beyond two years.
It is worth highlighting that the PerantiSiswa programme was initially planned to be offered via telcos such as Celcom, Digi, Maxis, U Mobile, Telekom Malaysia and YTL Communications. As announced by the Finance Minister during the tabling of Budget 2022, the telcos will also contribute RM65 million to the initiative. However, the model for the PerantiSiswa has now changed to a loan scheme and the B40 students don’t really own the devices. This would also mean that they may pay a penalty if they don’t return the tablets in good working condition.
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