IT Technology: No More Jaring in Malaysia?

Malaysia's first internet provider Jaring Communications Sdn Bhd has been put under the care of a liquidator after a court order last Thursday.

The news was met with a mix of sadness and happiness by a key figure who was instrumental in pioneering the internet service in the country some 30 years ago, Dr Mohamed Awang Lah.

In a Facebook posting, the former Jaring Chief Executive Officer said he was sad that the entity he had helped to start back in 1986 under the name RangKoM, later launched as Jaring in 1992, had been left to deteriorate into the present condition.

Jaring was also a subsidiary of Mimos and subsequently taken over by the Finance Ministry in 2007. "I no longer have any links with this company after retiring in 2010. However, to me this incident is to me sad and happy at the same time.

"Sad because the entity that introduced internet service in Malaysia has come to this. Happy because a more responsible party has been given the duty to manage it temporarily.

"I hope it will be turned around soon," he said.

After retiring, Mohamed's position was taken over by Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Yaacob as the new appointed CEO on March 1, 2011.

In August last year, Jaring was reportedly bought over by Utusan Printcorp for over RM100 million.

A few months later in October, The Malaysian Insider reported some 70 Utusan Printcorp staff held a protest to demand their unpaid salaries which was three months in arrears. Jaring staff were also among those reported not to have received their pay.

Jaring was also among three contractors that received a full payment of RM88.13 million by the Ministry of Communication and Multimedia for an incomplete broadband project in Sabah and Sarawak, according to the first series of the Auditor-General's Report 2014.

During his time as Jaring CEO, Mohamed was known as a proponent of an open access system for the broadband network. The Edge reported in 2008, that his stance was for the ownership of the network to be independent of the service provider.

Mohamed was also senior vice-president of Mimos Berhad and had been responsible for managing Jaring and supervising research and development operations in Mimos.

He started his career as an engineer at the National Electricity Board in 1976 and was also a tutor for the faculty of engineering in Universiti Malaya and the faculty deputy dean since 1983.

He obtained a first class honours degree in electronics and electrical engineering from King's College, University of London, in 1976 and has a PhD in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from the same university in 1980.