The Government has spearheaded several IT-driven initiatives and has been pushing a shift to e-Government, using the Internet to elicit feedback and even publicise tenders and receive bids. But to date, only eight Cabinet members or their representatives have responded to emails from the New Sunday Times.
Every email is read, and some printed out for Abdullah to read, he said. The PM receives emails "from around the world", including one from a US resident who had remarked on his speech in Parliament one day, he added.
And Abdullah, like the rest of us, gets spammed, he said.
The PM’s inbox gets filled with offers to make him rich, if he would provide his bank account number to the "son of a deposed African dictator".
Earlier this year, Abdullah had reminded all ministries to keep their websites updated.
Last week, the New Sunday Times sent emails to all but one Cabinet Minister, to see how many had taken to the technology.
In the email were three personal questions, designed to ensure that only the ministers themselves could answer — on their favourite author, favourite food and what they missed most from their childhood.
Email addresses of most of the 32 Cabinet members were found on their ministry websites or listed on the website of the PM’s Office, www.pmo.gov.my.
However, getting the email addresses of Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin, Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh, Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik and Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz required several phone calls.
The only address that was not available is that of Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and his office declined to provide it.
Officials at a number of ministries in Putrajaya, the country’s purpose-built administrative capital, said they had problems checking email because Internet access is slow.
"It’s so slow that staff rarely check emails and would rather deal with faxes," said an administrator with the Education Ministry who declined to be named.
That may be why Education Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein was among those who did not reply.
Even in Kuala Lumpur, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry had the same problem.
Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was among the last to respond, taking almost two weeks.
Later, an assistant called and explained the ministry’s web mail had not worked for more than a week and that Shahrizat received the email 12 days after it was sent.
The fastest replies came from Tan Sri Bernard Dompok and Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who replied the very next day. They seemed the most IT-savvy and wrote informally.
Entrepreneur Development and Co-operatives Minister Khaled wrote: "I read your email, favourite author no one in particular. Favourite dish, of course asam pedas. The last question — being playful."
Dompok, who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, has the same complaint as everyone else about email.
"Thanks for the inquiry on whether ministers read their email. I do read them but the spams are a nuisance."
Representatives of Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal replied on their behalf as they were away at the time.
Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop replied personally, while a representative of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili called to give his replies.
Autor: Koh Lay Chin
Quelle: New Straits Times, 27.11.2005
