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Can the working class live without Astro, Internet?

In our continuing series on the high cost of living in Malaysia, we ask low-income families whether ‘luxuries’, such as an Internet plan and Astro subscription are now necessities? Can people do without them?

Have Internet connection plans, mobile data plans and Astro become as indispensable as mobile phones, computers and cars?

The Malaysian Insider spoke to several families in the Klang Valley and Penang on whether these services were things that even low-income families cannot do without.

What emerges is a picture of how these “luxuries” compensate for the inability of low-wage earners to provide other things like recreation or childcare for their children.

Ghafar Mohamad, who lives in Klang, Selangor, believes that any family with secondary school students like his own could not do without an Internet plan.

“Primary schoolchildren nowadays have homework which requires them to go on the Internet,” said the 52-year-old business consultant with four children. Three are between the ages of 11 and 16.

Ghafar himself needs to go online for work, so the family spends RM68 a month on a basic Internet plan. Since he and his wife bring in about RM 6,500 a month, he is willing to ensure their children do not have to rely on cybercafes.

“With cybercafes, you’re not sure what they are doing there. At least with home Internet, you can monitor what they’re surfing.”

His sentiment was shared by all but one of the 13 families interviewed. The only household that did not need the web was Tee Seng Yean’s. The 78-year-old has no children or grandchildren living with him.

Even fathers who cannot afford a home Internet connection, such as Ojaran Fakharurrazi Omar, 37, from Penang, are willing to shell out money for their children to use a cybercafe, despite its risks.

“I have given my son money to use the cybercafe for Internet access to get his schoolwork done,” said Ojaran, of his nine-year-old.

Mohd Hafiz Abd Aziz says a data plan is necessary for work despite the high cost of signing up for one. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, September 4, 2014.
Mohd Hafiz Abd Aziz says a data plan is necessary for work despite the high cost of signing up for one. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, September 4, 2014.

Mobile Internet plans, however, are considered a necessity by four of the 13 families interviewed.

Ghafar, Michael De Cruz and Yazid Othman of Kuala Lumpur, and Mohd Hafiz Abd Aziz of Penang, claimed a data plan was necessary for work.

“A mobile data plan is a must. It’s necessary to communicate with friends,” said Yazid, 33, who works as a delivery person for a watch company.

Datuk Paul Selvaraj of consumer group Fomca said as the Internet had become a primary method of communication for school and work, it could be considered a necessity.

“But there are still issues of how much (bandwidth) is a necessity and what people use it for. The government should consider regulating the industry so that there is a basic package that can be offered to low-income families.”

When it came to an Astro, the number of households who thought it was a necessity was about the same as those who felt an Internet connection was necessary.

Those with Astro claimed that in this day and age, television viewing was almost impossible without it.

Ghafar had an interesting take on why his family needed Astro.

“You save on other forms of entertainment. You don’t need to spend on movies any more and it helps keeps your children at home instead of having them wandering around so they can get kidnapped.”

Zainal Ahmad echoed this, even though he only earns RM2,100 a month from manning a burger stall.

“My children complain that I don’t take them out. But I can’t take my children out any more because money is short, so I have to provide an alternative way to entertain them and keep them occupied.”

If he takes his wife and children to the mall, for example, Zainal would have to spend on petrol, parking and food for six people.

A one-day outing could set him back by RM80 to RM100. In comparison, his Astro package is RM130 a month.

And then there is that other benefit, both Zainal and Ghafar agree, for schoolgoing children in the form of TVIQ, an education-based channel that provides exam and study tips.

Selvaraj, however, said cable television such as Astro should not be classified as a necessity.

“We are not ready to consider Astro a necessity. People will claim that they watch educational programmes.” – September 4, 2014.

* Part I, II, III and another story in this series.