The lecture held in tandem with the Prime Minister's Office was an informative course of dialogue regarding `Open Source Software' (OSS), in particular the expansion and OSS initiatives that have been implemented within the public sector in Malaysia. The talk was delivered by Dr. Nor Aliah binti Mohd. Zahari, Director of Policy and Planning ICT of the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU)
OSS is a collection of computer software where source coding is shared and made available to review and modify and distributed once again in and amongst its users.
OSS can be used as a platform for ICT development and implemented as an alternative for proprietary platform users. It can also be viewed as an alternative platform which allows countries as well as organisations to utilise, innovation and produce computer software that is suited to their own use, as opposed to using proprietoary computer software from vendors.
The Malaysian government through MAMPU has drawn up a roadmap for the adoption of OSS technologies within the public sector, with strategic plans, technical implentation and guidelines for implementation of OSS in February 2004, which may help Brunei Darussalam in deciding whether to forego the propietary platforms and embark on a similar path of ICT Development in the Sultanate.
As source codes are made open, interoperability among systems which could potentially be developed for the implementation of the e-government can be enhanced to enable a more integrated and improved public service.
There are considerations to be taken into account, despite being an alternative which is less costly, the proprietary platforms are secure, with the OSS platform posing questions from within that field.
Attending the event yesterday morning were Permanent Secretaries at the Prime Minister's Office, Pehin Dato Paduka Awg Hj Hazair bin Hj Abdullah, who is also Chairperson of the Executive Committee for E-Government Programme, and Pg. Dato Paduka Hj. Abdul Hamid bin Pg. Hj Mohd. Yassin.
Also present were members of the E-Government Programme Executive Committee and the E-Government Strategic, Policy and Coordination Working Group.
Autor: Izam S. Ya'akub
Quelle: Brunei Direct, 06.04.2005
