Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia – As part of the National Broadband Initiative (NBI) which seeks to enhance broadband access to more people in the country, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), in collaboration with the Government of Malaysia, has launched a broadband and netbook package specifically for lower-income households. The new package, called ‘Pakej Jalur Lebar TM dengan Komputer 1Malaysia’ will offer low income families a combination of both a netbook and Streamyx broadband access from just RM38 (US$11.50) per month for 24 months. It was launched by the Minister of Information, Communications and Culture, YB Dato’ Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim at a ceremony held in Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan. Also present was Dato’ Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, group chief executive officer of TM. Said, YB Dato’ Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim, “The government is pushing hard the initiatives to provide broadband to the whole country as the economical and social benefits are enormous and far-reaching. Achieving a 50 per cent household penetration rate by the end of the year should result in a tangible contribution of one per cent to the GDP and creating 135,000 new jobs while in 2012, it will be 1.39 per cent to the GDP and 220,000 new jobs. With the tagline ‘Broadband for All’, the National Broadband initiative will ensure that all Malaysians, either in the suburbs, rural or remote areas, have access to broadband services. The NBI was envisioned to transform Malaysia into a knowledge society and to leapfrog into a high-income economy by 2020.”