Communications and Multimedia Minister, Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak assured citizens that the new rebate system for prepaid users will be implemented by January next year. He made the statement during a seminar on the Role of New Media in Fighting Against Perception Terrorism in Cyberjaya yesterday.

He also added more details regarding the method of repayment for the 6% GST that prepaid users pay every time they top up their mobile number. The rebates will be given back in the form of airtime. So, if you pay RM0.60 when you top up RM10, then you’ll get it back as 60 sen’s worth of airtime.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and local telcos are still working out when the airtime will be refunded to customers. However, it has been settled that the rebates will be borne by the government through its internal fund, MCMC and telcos.

The government has also decided that only Malaysians will be able to receive the rebates. Presumably, users will be sorted out based on the ID they used to register when they first bought the number. Currently, there are 33 million registered prepaid mobile phone users in Malaysia, with 5 million of them being non-Malaysian users.

This raises several questions. Firstly, do the citizens prefer to receive the rebate in the form of airtime, or will they prefer not to have to pay for the GST in the first place? Secondly, why the different treatment between Malaysian and foreign users? And thirdly, how and will the government make sure that this restriction on foreign users is not circumvented by registering using locals’ IC number?

We hope to hear more about the government’s plan on this whole rebate issue as the MCMC and telcos continue to map out their plan.

Source: The Sun Daily