IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Surprisingly, the answer is just one.

The only website you need to remember to access a host of government websites and obtain information ranging from payment to complaints, applications, search and services, among others to answer hundreds of your queries is www.gov.my.

Malaysia's government electronic procurement (e-procurement) portal, ePerolehan, is targeting to support transactions totaling 17 billion ringgit (US$5.3 billion) in 2013, up from 15.4 billion ringgit (US$4.8 billion) last year.

Malaysia's Smart City Framework, which aims to bring local cities up to global smart city standards, is generating impactful results, as evidenced by Kuala Lumpur's impressive leap of 16 spots in the latest Institute for Management Development (IMD) Smart City Index.

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said Kuala Lumpur now ranks as the 73rd smartest city globally, a testament to Malaysia's growing urban innovation.

In a little over half a century since, Malaysia is sitting at a tipping point, on its way to becoming a high-income nation and knowledge-based economy that is set to continue to grow and become a formidable presence across the globe.

The ePerolehan portal made its debut in 2000, and is one of various e-government applications regulated by the Malaysian Finance Ministry to support procurement activities online. A new ePerolehan system is being built and will be launched in 2015.

This statement was made by Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, CEO of Multimedia Development Corporation (MDEC) during his opening address at the MSC Malaysia Cloud Conference held early this week.

“Its benefits in delivering economies of scale, shared computing platforms, more cost effective investment into infrastructure and greater human resources efficiencies, are things we can no longer ignore,” he said.

He highlighted the need to ensure that information is useful and eases transactions between government and citizens. He urged government agencies and ministries to regularly update their websites so that the latest information is displayed.

The 1 Malaysia Email Project, purportedly to allow a direct and secure communication between citizens and the Government, is criticized by many for being an unnecessary government expense. It requires a small fee of 50 sen (less than $1) for activation under the National Registration Department.

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) infrastructure will cost the government RM45 million (US$15 million).

RFID is a technology that uses radio frequency signals to track and identify objects, which are personal or individually labeled, that pass through the system.

Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun (pictured), Minister in Prime Minister Department said: “This saving has been achieved by employing in-house ICT consultants. These ICT consulting team members are paid government wages. The difference in cost between employing private sector consultants and in-house government consultants was used in calculating the cost savings.”

The Malaysian Government is doing well in delivering services to citizens in the lower socioeconomic strata who are less digitally connected, even compared to countries with higher income per capita. 86% of its services can be accessed by “disadvantaged and vulnerable groups” - the highest proportion among Southeast Asian governments. It has performed as well as Singapore, whose citizens enjoy income per capita more three times higher than Malaysians.

The Cross Flagship Integration (CFI) Architecture Project, which came up with a draft enterprise architecture for all government agencies in November, is intended to overcome the challenge of integrating application environments that have developed in isolation.

Said e-mail accounts will be a fail-proof way to send tax returns, and other personalised and potentially sensitive notices, according to government information.

The project, called 1Malaysia E-mail, will begin in July, with the aim of enabling the government to send official notices efficiently and instantly without compromising personal data of users – thus improving the delivery of public services.

KKMM has said that the streamlining of the ICT agencies under one ministry was to allow more effective execution of functions and implementation of powers entrusted to the Communications and Multimedia Minister. KKMM will now also develop, implement and monitor the National ICT Policy.

Among the certifications to be pursued are those from Microsoft, Cisco, Linux and CompTIA.

CompTIA's President and Chief Executive Officer, Todd Thibodeaux said extra initiatives were needed to cater to the future demand of IT professionals in Malaysia

Its president Prof Dr Ahmad Zaki Abu Bakar said it would bring more advantages to schools since information and communications technology (ICT) was part and parcel of teaching and learning in this information era.