GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday quashed fears that the usage of Wi-Fi frequencies would pose health problems.

He said there was no evidence that the Wi-Fi systems had a direct link to illnesses.

"So far, there is no evidence of such links to illness and if there were, we would not proceed to use them."

Lim said South Korea had been using the Wi-Fi system without any problems.

However, the state government would be meeting soon to discuss the issue. Lim was responding to calls that the state's Penang Free Wi-Fi project be stopped until it was proven safe.

Consumers Association of Penang president S.M. Mohamed Idris had last week urged the state government not to allow a technology which has not been proven to be safe, to be imposed on residents.

He said residents would be unable to avoid the electro-magnetic radiation, and the state government should take a precautionary approach as it would affect the health of all.

Lim had earlier launched the WiMAX broadband services operated by Packet One Networks Sdn Bhd at the Penang Development Corporation office.

"The availability of WiMAX in the state provides a boost to the industries here.

"With this partnership, we are taking another step in bridging, if not eliminating, the digital divide in Penang."