LIM Guan Eng said the bullying of Veveonah Mosibin by two deputy ministers is to divert attention away from the failure of Perikatan Nasional to implement the national fibre and connectivity plan (NFCP) in Sabah

The DAP secretary-general condemned Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin and Deputy Finance Minister I Abdul Rahim Bakri, who both refused to explain the current status of the NFCP, and instead continue to attack the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) student.

The accusation that the undergraduate faked taking her online university exams atop a tree in her home district in Pitas has angered many Sabahans, Lim said.

“I was in Sabah when Zahidi attacked Veveonah in the Senate and Sabahans were angry,” he said in a statement today.

On the NFCP rolled out by the previous Pakatan Harapan government, the former finance minister said Zahidi and Rahim should stop the bullying and focus on upgrading the internet connectivity at 50 sites in 13 kampung.

Zahidi also conveniently blamed DAP for politicising the issue, said Lim.

“We only commented when Zahidi made accusations against the 18-year-old in the Dewan Negara. We had never even met Veveonah.”

Lim said Zahidi and Rahim should instead do their work and report that PH approved RM290 million for the NFCP to be disbursed in 152 sites.

“NFCP was planned to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas so that the remote area also gets internet services and equal opportunity.”

Lim added that out of the 152 sites, 50 sites or 33% are to be in Sabah.

If implemented, he said, the internet speed in these areas will be up to 30 Mbps.

The 50 sites are in 13 districts – Nabawan, Tenom, Keningau, Papar, Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Beluran, Tongod, Tuaran, Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas.

Veveonah’s kampung is in Pitas district. – September 8, 2020.