The 2013 budget announced on the 28th Sept included few elements which should benefit the digital industry. On article 120 of the new budget, includes:
120. A majority of the 22% of Malaysians who use smartphones to surf the Internet are youths. To enable the youths to access the information highway, a special package will be introduced by the Government with the cooperation between the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) and telecommunications companies. Through the Youth Communication Package, a one-off rebate of RM200 will be provided for the purchase of one unit of 3G smartphone from authorised dealers. The initiative is for youths aged between 21 to 30 years with a monthly income of RM3,000 and below. A sum of RM300 million is allocated benefiting 1.5 million youths.
Comparing to neighbouring countries such as Singapore, which their Multimedia Development Authority recently announced that digital penetration have already reached 90%, Malaysia is still lacking behind. Perhaps with this budget initiative, the digital paradigm shift should be
sped up.
