KUCHING (July 17): The telecommunication and internet services in Long Semadoh and over 40 other rural areas in Sarawak will be fully restored next month after the repair of the telecommunication towers is completed, says Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

MCMC in a statement yesterday said the operations of the towers were affected due to technical problem with Measat-3 satellite.

“Efforts to repair the affected towers are being actively carried out by Measat and the service providers,“ it added.

Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) secretary general Libat Langub made an urgent plea to the government on July 13, to restore telecommunication and internet services in the mountainous villages of Long Semadoh.

He said the services in Long Semadoh had totally broken down since the past one month or so.

“There is a real need for the villagers to communicate with their loved ones and the outside world for some important matters in view of the pandemic.

“Teachers and students in rural schools are in urgent need of connectivity to enable them to study from home while school leavers want to apply for jobs online or to further their studies,” said Libat, who hails from Long Semadoh.