KUCHING: The distribution of the free MyTV decoders is turning out to be a difficult task for the Sarawak DAP.
State DAP chief Chong Chong Chieng Jen, who is Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Deputy Minister, is using his ministry to distribute the decoders.
But even this does not make distributing the decoders easier, which irks the deputy minister who seems to think the hurdle is the Sarawak state government.
He said free decoder project is a federal government project, therefore, the state government should set politics aside and help with distributing the decoders.
“Whatever differences in political opinions, when it comes to the implementation of the (federal) government’s projects, all these differences should be put aside,” he said.
“The non-cooperation on the part of the state government in not letting us carry out the federal government’s initiative only makes life difficult for Sarawakians,” he said when met by reporters at Aeroville Shopping Mall yesterday.
Earlier Chong was saying recently his ministry had to cancel last minute its planned distribution of the decoders because it could not get the permit to use a community hall.
On Nov 21 last year, a huge crowd turned up at the DAP headquarters here on the second day of the distribution of the decoders.
The police and the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) were called in when the crowd got rowdy, with Chong crying sabotage by “certain quarters who are jealous”.
Chong went on to announce that the party would stop the use DAP offices for similar purpose in other towns in the state.
Chong also said then that the digitalisation of TV channels was a project started by the previous government and MyTV was appointed to carry out the project.
“We, the PH Government, found that to be a good project and thus decided to continue with it. However, MyTV did not make much effort in the distribution of the decoders in Sarawak.
“The contract entered into between the previous government and MyTV did not provide for such extra effort for distribution in Sarawak. Many of the decoders sent out through post were returned unclaimed and MyTV did not make any subsequent effort to deliver or to distribute the decoders in Sarawak.
“It was only upon the insistence of the DAP representatives that MyTV finally agreed to distribute the decoders in Sarawak. As such, the DAP Kuching office (headquarters) was used to facilitate the distribution and also to save costs,” he said.
