Kota Kinabalu: The Ministry of Communications has accepted a proposal by Tuaran Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau to include several villages in the Tuaran district in the implementation of the National Digital Network (Jendela) Phase 2 project to expand internet coverage in rural areas.
He said the issue of poor internet access in several villages in the area had been raised through a written question during the recent Dewan Rakyat sitting in Kuala Lumpur.
“Several areas in the Tuaran district are still without adequate internet facilities to this day.
“In this question, I raised several locations such as around Kg Mangkaladoi, Koporingan, Minangkob, Lokos and Betutai, which still have unsatisfactory internet access,” he said in a statement.
Madius, who is also the Tamparuli assemblyman, said the Ministry of Communications, in its written reply, informed that a review by the Sabah regional office of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) found that several villages highlighted still do not have nearby communications infrastructure.
“For Kg Mangkaladoi, Kg Koporingan and Kg Minangkob, it was found that there is no communications infrastructure within a two-kilometre radius of the villages.
“As such, the ministry informed that the areas will be included in the planning for the implementation of the Jendela Phase 2 project for the purpose of expanding coverage and improving services.
“At the same time, the ministry also explained that several other villages in the area have received communication tower facilities under Jendela Phase 1,” he said.
For Kg Betutai, Madius said the communications tower has been operating since Aug 6, 2024 while for Kg Lokos, the tower was handed over to the service provider on Sept 3, 2025 and is expected to begin operations at the end of February 2026.
Madius who is also the chairman of POIC Sdn Bhd also expressed appreciation to the ministry for its concern over issues faced by rural residents in the area.
“I appreciate the concern shown by the Ministry of Communications in taking note of this issue and agreeing to include several villages highlighted in the planning for the implementation of the JENDELA Phase 2 project.
“The move to include Kg Mangkaladoi, Kg Koporingan and Kg Minangkob in the Jendela Phase 2 planning is seen as an important development in efforts to bridge the digital divide in rural Sabah, particularly in the Tuaran district,” he said.
