Facilitating Digital Needs: The Influence of Internet Offerings and Accessibility Initiatives on Internet Use Behavior Among Malaysian Students and Working Communities
Abstract
The COVID-19 outbreak and the Movement Control Order (MCO) enforcement have rendered online activities essential. It is essential to emphasise the importance of providing essential internet services and initiatives for internet connectivity to all individuals and groups in Malaysia, enabling effective communication in the new normal. Therefore, this study examines the extent and impact of internet connectivity on the day-to-day routines of marginalised populations. The study aimed to gather data from 300 respondents by conducting surveys among primary, secondary, and tertiary education students and individuals from the working population who fall under low- and mid-income groups. The data were collected using offline and online survey questions to understand the disparities between urban and rural areas. This research finding supports the idea that internet services and efforts to improve accessibility influence people's behaviour when using the internet. The geographical location plays a substantial role in generating disparities between urban and rural regions. Age has a crucial role in shaping the connection between measures to improve internet accessibility and individuals' behaviour in using the internet. This research provides valuable insights into understanding the relationships between internet access options and measures to improve accessibility in emerging communication activities. As such, this research provides insights into the long-term preservation of digital inclusion and policymaking focused on establishing effective systems, services, and support to ensure internet accessibility. As such, this research sheds light on the importance of digital inclusion in rural and urban areas, considering different income groups.
Downloads
References
Aggarwal, B., Xiong, Q., & Schroeder-Butterfill, E. (2020). Impact of the use of the internet on quality of life in older adults: Review of literature. Primary Health Care Research & Development, 21, e55. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1463423620000584
Al-Hariri, M. T., & Al-Hattami, A. A. (2015). Utilisation of the internet by health college students at the University of Dammam. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 10(1), 66–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2014.10.002
Arfa, Y. (2021, May 5). Jaringan Prihatin offers B40 families rebates for data plans or smartphone purchases. New Straits Times. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/05/688052/jaringan-prihatin-offers-b40-families-rebates-data-plan-or-smartphone
Azlan, C. A., Wong, J. H. D., Tan, L. K., Huri, M. S. N. A. D., Ung, N. M., Pallath, V., & Tan, C. P. L. (2021). What is a population in online shopping research? A perspective from Malaysia. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education, 12(4), 654–658.
Barbosa Neves, B., Fonseca, J. R. S., Amaro, F., & Pasqualotti, A. (2018). Social capital and Internet use in an age-comparative perspective with a focus on later life. PLOS ONE, 13(2), e0192119. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192119
New Straits Times. (2021, June 30). Selangor helps the M40 with the internet subsidy scheme. Astro Awani. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/05/688052/jaringan-prihatin-offers-b40-families-rebates-data-plan-or-smartphone
Berner, J., Rennemark, M., Jogréus, C., Anderberg, P., Sköldunger, A., Wahlberg, M., Elmståhl, S., & Berglund, J. (2014). Factors influencing Internet usage in older adults (65 years and above) living in rural and urban Sweden. Health Informatics Journal, 21(3), 237–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/1460458214521226
Bhiwgade, N., & Bhiwgade, N. (2022, January 23). Internet of Behavior (IoB) and its influence on human behavioral psychology. Modern Diplomacy. https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2021/06/16/internet-of-behavior-iob-and-its-influence-on-human-behavioral-psychology/
Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. Wiley.
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Dawood, S. R. S., Ghazali, S., & Samat, N. (2019). Digital divide and poverty eradication in the rural region of Northern Peninsular Malaysia. Indonesian Journal of Geography, 51(2), 172–182.
Department of Statistics, Malaysia. (2020, July). Household income and basic amenities survey report by state and administrative district: Negeri Sembilan. https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/uploads/files /1_Articles_By_Themes/Prices/HIES/HIS-Report/HIS_Negeri_Sembilan.pdf
Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2019). Household income and basic amenities survey report 2019. Retrieved fromhttps://www.dosm.gov.my/portal-main/release-content/household-income-&-basic-amenities-survey-report2019#:~:text=HOUSEHOLD%20GROSS%20INCOME,4.2%20per%20cent %20in% 202019
Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM). (2010–2015). Labor force survey. Putrajaya: Department of Statistics Malaysia. Retrieved from https://www.dosm.gov.my/portal-main/release-content/labour-force-survey-report-malaysia-2015
Figueroa, M. E., Kincaid, D. L., Rani, M., & Lewis, G. (2002). Communication for social change working paper series: No. 1. New York: The Rockefeller Foundation.
Fleming, P. J., & Agnew-Brune, C. (2015). Current trends in the study of gender norms and health behaviors. Current Opinion in Psychology, 5, 72–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.05.001
Fornell, C. G., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.
Gong, R. (2020, September). Digital inclusion: Assessing meaningful internet connectivity in Malaysia. Khazanah Research Institute. Retrieved from http://krinstitute.org/assets/contentMS/img/template/editor/20200907%20Inclusion%20v4.0.pdf
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Homans, G. C. (1961). Social behavior: Its elementary forms. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Hulland, J. (1999). Use of partial least squares (PLS) in strategic management research: A review of four recent studies. Strategic Management Journal, 20(2), 195–204.
International Monetary Fund. (2020). Low internet access is driving inequality. Retrieved from https://blogs.imf.org/2020/06/29/low-internet-access-driving-inequality/
Isa, K., & Abdul Latiff, A. (2020). Internet browsing trends among Malaysians during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Engineering Research, 8(4), 1–8.
Lai, J., & Widmar, N. O. (2020). Revisiting the digital divide in the COVID?19 era. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 43(1), 458–464. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13104
Lozano-Blasco, R., Robres, A. Q., & Sánchez, A. S. (2022). Internet addiction in young adults: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Computers in Human Behavior, 130, 107201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107201
Malaysian Investment Development Authority. (2020, November 10). Internet usage in Malaysia spikes as Covid-19 pushes more people to go online. https://www.mida.gov.my/mida-news/internet-usage-in-malaysia-spikes-as-covid-19-pushes-more-people-to-go-online/
MCMC. (2020a). Changing usage patterns influence internet speed in Malaysia [Media statement]. https://www.mcmc.gov.my/skmmgovmy/media/General/pdf/MEDIA_STATEMENT_CHANGING_USAGE_PATTERNS_INFLUENCE_INTERNET_SPEED_IN_MALAYSIA.pdf
MCMC. (2020b). Internet users survey 2020 report. https://www.mcmc.gov.my/skmmgovmy/media/General/pdf/IUS-2020-Report.pdf
MCMC. (2022). Free 1GB daily internet data extended until Dec 31, says PM. https://www.mcmc.gov.my/en/media/press-clippings/free-1gb-daily-internet-data-extended-until-dec-31
Melhem, S., & Tandon, N. (2009). Information and communication technologies for women’s socio-economic empowerment (pp. 1–96). World Bank Publications.
Miles, J. A. (2012). Management and organization theory. USA: John Wiley & Sons.
Othman, R., Fahrulrazy Rahim, K., Binti Kamarulzaman, R. A., Amat, D. W., & Sham, R. (2019). Literature review on internet benefits, risks and issues: A case study for cyber parenting in Malaysia. Malaysian E-Commerce Journal, 3(2), 12–14. https://doi.org/10.26480/mecj.02.2019.12.14
Parker, K., Horowitz, J. M., & Minkin, R. (2020, December 9). How the coronavirus outbreak has – and hasn’t – changed the way Americans work. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/12/09/how-the-coronavirus-outbreak-has-and-hasnt-changed-the-way-americans-work/
Rachmawati, R., Choirunnisa, U., Pambagyo, Z. A., Syarafina, Y. A., & Ghiffari, R. A. (2021). Work from home and the use of ICT during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia and its impact on cities in the future. Sustainability, 13(12), 6760. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126760
Raheem Ahmed, R., Hanif, M., & Ahmed Meenai, Y. (2015). Relationship between demographics and internet usage. Journal of Information Engineering and Applications, 5(10), 32–38. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283733993_Relationship_between_Demographic_and_Internet_Usage/comments
Ramayah, T., Cheah, F., Chuah, F., Ting, H., & Memon, M. A. (2018). Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 3.0: An updated and practical guide to statistical analysis. Pearson.
Rudner, R. (1966). Philosophy of social science. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Selvanathan, M., Hussin, N. A. M., & Azazi, N. A. N. (2020). Students' learning experiences during COVID-19: Work from home period in Malaysian higher learning institutions. Teaching Public Administration. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0144739420977900
Selver, N. (2005). A research on the purpose of internet usage and learning via the internet. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 4(4), 27–32.
Singer, G., Norbisrath, U., & Lewandowski, D. (2012). Impact of gender and age on performing search tasks online. In Mensch & Computer 2012: 12. Fachübergreifende Konferenz Für Interaktive Und Kooperative Medien. Interaktiv Informiert–Allgegenwärtig Und Allumfassend!? (pp. 23–32). https://doi.org/10.1524/9783486718782.23
Sun, B., Mao, H., & Yin, C. (2020). Male and female users’ differences in online technology communities based on text mining. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 806. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00806
Syazwina, Y. (2020). MCMC: Bandwidth usage surge causes 4G download speeds to drop by a third in Week 2 of MCO. The Edge Media Group. Retrieved from https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/mcmc-bandwidth-usage-surge-causes-4g-download-speeds-drop-third-week-2-mco
Thibaut, J. W., & Kelly, H. H. (1959). The social psychology of groups. New York, NY: Wiley.
UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre. (2020). Skills for a resilient youth: Virtual conference report. Retrieved fromhttp://oasis.col.org/bitstream/handle/11599/3648/2020_Neal_Virtual_Conference_Skills_for_Resilient_Youth.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Vasudevan, P., & Arokiasamy, L. (2021). Online shopping among the young generation in Malaysia. Electronic Journal of Business and Management, 6(1), 31–38.
Wahab, N. A., Ahmad, M. R., Isa, A. A. M., Malik, R. F., & Esa, M. R. M. (2019). WiFi temporal coverage: Analysis of socio-economic influences in Malaysia. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 228, 012007. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/228/1/012007
Worldometers. (2019). Malaysia demographics 2020 (population, age, sex, trends). [Note: Confirm if this is a web page or report and adjust format accordingly.]
Yeap, C. F., Suhaimi, N., & Nasir, M. K. M. (2021). Issues, challenges, and suggestions for empowering technical vocational education and training during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. Creative Education, 12(8), 1818–1839.
Syazwina, Y. (2020). MCMC: Bandwidth usage surge causes 4G download speeds to drop by a third in Week 2 of MCO, The Edge Media Group, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/mcmc-bandwidth-usage-surge-causes-4g-download-speeds-drop-third-week-2-mco.
Thibaut, J.W., & Kelly, H.H. (1959). The social psychology of Groups. New York: Wiley.
UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre (2020). Skills for a Resilient Youth: Virtual Conference Report. Retrieved fromhttp://oasis.col.org/bitstream/handle/11599/3648/2020_Neal_Virtual_Conference_Skills_for_Resilient_Youth.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
Vasudevan, P. & Arokiasamy, L. (2021). Online Shopping among the Young Generation in Malaysia. Electronic Journal of Business and Management, 6(1), 31-38.
Wahab, N. A., Ahmad, M. R., Isa, A. A. M., Malik, R. F., & Esa, M. R. M. (2019). WiFi Temporal Coverage: Analysis of Socio-Economics Influences in Malaysia. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 228: 10.1088/1755 1315/228/1/012007
Worldometers. (2019). Malaysia demographics 2020 (population, age, sex, trends). Retrieved from https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/malaysia-demographics/
Yeap, C. F., Suhaimi, N., & Nasir, M. K. M. (2021). Issues, Challenges, and Suggestions for Empowering Technical Vocational Education and Training during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia. Creative Education, 12(8), 1818-1839.
Copyright (c) 2025 Santhi Govindan, Siti Aishah Hussin, Amily Binti Fikry, Zuhal Hussein

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Author (s) should affirm that the material has not been published previously. It has not been submitted and it is not under consideration by any other journal. At the same time author (s) need to execute a publication permission agreement to assume the responsibility of the submitted content and any omissions and errors therein. After submission of revised paper in the light of suggestions of the reviewers, the editorial team edits and formats manuscripts to bring uniformity and standardization in published material.
This work will be licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) and under condition of the license, users are free to read, copy, remix, transform, redistribute, download, print, search or link to the full texts of articles and even build upon their work as long as they credit the author for the original work. Moreover, as per journal policy author (s) hold and retain copyrights without any restrictions.