KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — Former deputy education minister Teo Nie Ching has expressed disbelief at a minister’s explanation that less than one per cent of the tablet computers promised to B40 students under Budget 2022 have been delivered.

Teo also noted that in the Communication and Multimedia Ministry’s written parliamentary reply to her, the number of tablets has dropped to just over half what was promised in the federal spending plan.

"In the 2022 Budget, the amount promised was RM515 million, which was for 600,000 tablet units, but when I asked in my question to the minister yesterday, the reply I received was: RM385.310 million for 350,000 tablet units.

"What is shocking is that only 2,764 tablet units have been distributed and that is 0.8 per cent of 350,000 units, which are said to be available by the ministry,” Teo told a news conference at the Parliament building here today.

She was referring to the PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia programme that was scheduled to be completed by November, or less than a month from now.

"I want an explanation on why the number is different and why only so few have been distributed.

"It is impossible that only such a small amount of the tablets was distributed,” she said indicating that it has been almost one year since the promise was made.

On September 11, the Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said 60 per cent of nearly 100,000 applications received for the first phase of the PerantiSiswa Keluarga Malaysia programme were approved through initial screening and the devices will be distributed in the same month.

He reportedly said the ministry was trying to complete the rollout of the devices under phase one by this month, before starting on the rollout for phase two next month and completing it this November.