Accenture's fifth annual global e-government study

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