Accenture's fifth annual global e-government study
Accenture's fifth annual global e-government study
Accenture's fifth annual global e-government study
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workers and implementing at least four major<br />
cross-agency information and communications<br />
technology initiatives.<br />
Malaysia’s focus on eGovernment has already led<br />
to some innovative eGovernment services. MyKad<br />
continues to be the flagship application. The<br />
national smart card incorporates a host of <strong>government</strong><br />
and private-sector applications in a single<br />
card. Current applications include use as a national<br />
identification card, driver’s license, toll payment<br />
device and ATM card, among others.<br />
Malaysia has successfully implemented the Malaysian<br />
Smart School Pilot Project, another high-profile<br />
application within Malaysia’s Multimedia Super<br />
Corridor project. The project’s intent is to transform<br />
the Malaysian education system into a highly<br />
advanced technology-based process that will revolutionize<br />
the way students learn, think and act. This<br />
reform required five technology-enabled components—a<br />
Smart School management system,<br />
teaching-learning materials, systems integration,<br />
technology infrastructure and support services.<br />
Though implemented for only just over a year, the<br />
Smart School project has already had impressive<br />
achievements, including the production of approximately<br />
1,500 courseware titles, a first-ever integrated<br />
Smart School management system for Malaysian<br />
schools and the establishment of 87 Malaysian<br />
Smart Schools.<br />
Personal Data Protection Act, whose basic tenet<br />
is that no personal information will be used other<br />
than for what it was originally intended. This act is<br />
expected to go before parliament in 2004.<br />
To promote ePerolehan (www.ePerolehan.com),<br />
the <strong>government</strong>’s electronic procurement system,<br />
Malaysia is taking a hard-line approach. In January<br />
of 2003, the Ministry of Finance issued a directive to<br />
all 35,000 <strong>government</strong> suppliers nationwide to be<br />
ePerolehan-enabled or risk losing out on <strong>government</strong>related<br />
business opportunities.<br />
The country continues to assess its performance<br />
based on public complaints, surveys and short polls<br />
at the end of transactions, as well as by requiring<br />
service providers to provide statistics on transactions.<br />
These results, however, are not made public.<br />
Moving forward, Malaysia still has considerable<br />
ground to cover to become a recognized eGovernment<br />
leader. However, the expected launch of the operational<br />
eCitizen portal in 2004 should propel the<br />
<strong>government</strong> ahead considerably. With support<br />
from the prime minister, Malaysia can expect more<br />
efficient public services via its “cut the red tape”<br />
initiatives. If Malaysia sustains maturity gains like it<br />
has over the past two years, the country could be<br />
poised for impressive eGovernment advancement<br />
in a short time.<br />
In the area of ubiquitous <strong>government</strong>, young people<br />
who want to know if they have been selected for the<br />
country’s national service program can find out<br />
through the short messaging service, using their<br />
identity card number or name, and get a reply within<br />
seconds. Besides national service, citizens also have<br />
the options to use short messaging service for voter’s<br />
confirmation, police summonses and other services.<br />
While the Malaysian <strong>government</strong> does not seem to<br />
be actively promoting its services to increase takeup,<br />
it is taking measures to foster an environment<br />
conducive to electronic business. For example, it is<br />
taking steps to protect privacy and to provide legal<br />
certainty for electronic transactions. Various new<br />
laws are currently being considered, including the<br />
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