KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must ensure that the 5G connectivity is spread and developed in an even manner or stands the risk of creating a wider gap between the "have and have nots", an education specialist warns.
"From an educators point of view, it's a huge missed opportunity if the connectivity infrastructure is not evenly balanced between the rural and urban areas", said Dr Vincent Chian, who is partial owner and principal of Fairview International Schools.
Fairview, which was awarded last year as among the top 50 top International Baccalaureate schools in the world, is also one of very few Malaysian-owned schools that has successfully ventured abroad to Europe and Southeast Asia.
"It is a glaring opportunity because over the past four years, Malaysia has spent more than RM230 billion for education, but 5G has the potential to change how children are educated, to have an amplifying effect on the education budget invested."
Chian added that globally it was an accepted practice that best sustainable way to overcome poverty or even narrow the gap between the "haves and have nots" was education.
"We need to protect the RM230 billion which we have invested and planning to invest in 2022. There is no point providing students with computers and note books if they cannot connect to the grid or if the connections are too slow in some areas," he said.
Last year, Malaysians were shocked when a student in Sabah spent 24 hours on top of a tree for better internet connection while in Kelantan, a father build a tent on top of a hilltop so that his daughter could connect to the grid.
"Digital connectivity in education has to be a seamless experience or you will lose these students due to fatigue and the billions we allocate for education each year won't give you that bang to break down poverty and bring more of Malaysia to the mainstream," said Chian.
The government is relooking into whether to proceed with a plan that has tasked Digital Nasional Bhd to be the sole 5G deployer to ensure every breadth of the country has top speed broadband connectivity.