NEWS: 旅遊部推行網絡廣告

吉隆坡旅遊部長拿督斯里阿莎麗娜說，旅遊部將在9月至12月期間聯合雅虎及MSN推行網絡廣告活動以吸引更多遊客。她表示，目前遊客使用網絡的趨勢越加強烈，所以旅遊部認為，現在推廣這項活動將利於馬旅遊業。互聯網瞭解大馬的真正情況，而不隨意相信有關大馬政局不穩的訊息。”

她今日今日(週二3日）是在為旅遊部聯合雅虎及MSN的網絡廣告活動主持推介禮致詞時，發表演說。

NEWS: Wake up call for public sector

A crisis is emerging, driven by an ageing workforce, widening remuneration gap between the public and private sector, changing expectations of younger workers, and the growing complexity of public policy issues. Ovum’s research director Steve Hodgkinson says this should serve as a wake up call to the governments.

THE next few years are shaping up to be something of a crossroads for public sector knowledge workers. Issues that have sparked the crisis such as an ageing workforce and the growing complexity of public policy issues have been sneaking up on us. But, we may look back on this as the year that government woke up to the need to invest in its own organisational fabric.

One of the symptoms is the progressive down-wasting of document and records management capabilities. The public sector once prided itself on the discipline of its paper records management, with registered filing being an essential element of the training of all public servants.

The coincidence of the ease of electronic document creation, more decentralised organisation models, and the demise of the career public servant has led to a gradual loss of document and records management discipline.

Witness the almost universal failure of document and record management systems in recent years. Even if a system can be said to be operational, the quality of the recording is low. Most information is in practice, stored in an ad hoc manner in thousands of computer hard drives and network folders, application database and content repositories.

This short-term expediency has become a part of public sector culture, reinforced by new workers unaware of public sector document disciplines, staff moving in and out of the public sector, and from one agency to another with a delirious sense of living for the present. Write the brief, deliver the project and move on.

But it’s OK because technology will save us – it’s stored somewhere and we can fire up a search engine to find anything we want. The irony is that, some structure is worse than none at all. Hierarchical folders, partitioned networks, inscrutable document names, multiple document versions, e-mail attachments, etc, defeat searches. We would have been better with no structure at all, one big electronic file with open naming standards like the Internet, then we could at least just Google the lot.

Why do I think that 2008/09 will be any different? Because we are at the beginning of a new generation of tools that caused this problem.

The previous generation of tools were designed to support individual authoring and one-on-one exchanges such as e-mail, the next generation is emerging to support collaboration. Major vendors such as Microsoft and IBM have delivered a new breed of collaboration tools, and new entrants such as Atlassian and Google have launched a new paradigm in Internet-delivered tools.

These tools make it easy and natural to share knowledge. New features, for example, include the ability to create a document in a shared repository, with many authors but only one authoritative version – a “Golden copy” – searchable, secure and archived.

It is no wonder, therefore, that most jurisdictions are agonising this year over their “desktop strategy”. The desktop strategy starts out being a simple renegotiation of an enterprise agreement with Microsoft and/or IBM, and ends up being a fundamental soul search about the nature of knowledge work in the public sector, the processes and practices, the people and their culture and behaviours.

This is a critical business issue for all agencies, and is one that senior executives should take interest in. It is not a technical software procurement issue. Consider this: one of the key determinants of your ability to hire the best and brightest young employees in the near future may well be the quality of your knowledge worker tools and the culture of collaboration that they engender.

NEWS: Turning crisis into opportunities

THE world food crisis is a good opportunity for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry to help manage a global issue.

Customers check out the price of rice at a local hypermarket. The current food crisis presents an opportunity for local tech players to put their ideas to use.

Already, some of the world leaders are calling for a tech solution to this crisis, which can lead to global hunger and malnutrition problems, if not duly addressed.

At the recent 16th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT 2008) in Kuala Lumpur, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the problem, like other global concerns, can be solved through the creative use of ICT. He added that ICT has already become an indispensable tool for information dissemination on climatic changes, and similarly, can be applied to provide solutions in the area of agriculture and food production.

Egypt’s Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif echoed the same hope, calling on the industry to create innovative mechanisms that will help close the current gap between supply and demand, and develop tools and applications, which will increase productivity and improve the management of food supply.

One tech company is showing how it can be done. IBM has reported that it is embarking on a Nutritious Rice for the World project, in collaboration with the University of Washington to develop stronger strains of rice that could produce crops with larger and more nutritious yields, via the World Community Grid supercomputing technology. There will certainly be more announcements of initiatives by other players with the same objective.

Apart from the big players, the food crisis also presents an opportunity for local tech players to put their innovative ideas to use. Applications and solutions to help alleviate the food crisis are certainly much sought after, and should help to drive business growth.

Another incentive is the opportunity to break into the global market.

A compelling food for thought, perhaps?

NEWS: 資訊科技耗580萬登馬運會爭最佳

（瓜拉登嘉樓24日訊）登嘉樓州政府耗資580萬令吉在資訊科技（IT），以確保今屆馬運會是歷屆來最成功的賽會。

此外，今屆馬運會的官方網站，也首次提供圖片頻道。有關圖片是由專業攝影師拍攝。

官網除了提供最新、最精彩的圖片，同時也有最新獎牌榜、成績、賽程、抽籤結果等。同時也提供各方面的資訊，包括比賽新聞、賽場點滴等。

馬運會資訊科技主席沙里比汀指出，馬運會的官網也銜接州政府網站、登嘉樓旅遊局、州體育理事會。

“我們希望成為歷來最成功的主辦州，我們在資訊科技方面提供最新的軟件。”

沙里比汀透露，有關網站自去年起就開始操作，他說：“州政府不吝花費在設備方面，尤其是現今是講究科技的世代。我們希望第12屆馬運會，成為歷來最成功的賽會。”

沙里表示，他們非常感謝TM贊助170萬在資訊方面，以及HP贊助100萬在硬體方面。

“我們一切都準備好了，一些小問題，相信在短期內得以解決。我們在本週日進行最后的測試，相信都會順利。”

NEWS: Selangor to launch own broadband wireless network

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government will launch its own wireless broadband network here in two weeks and the coverage will be extended to other parts of the Klang Valley later this year, said state Welfare, Women’s Affairs, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman Rodziah Ismail.

She said the government was ready to start putting in place the infrastructure needed to make the services available statewide but declined to say how much it would cost.

“It will take up to five years for us to provide wireless broadband access network throughout the state,” she told a press conference here on Tuesday.

Rodziah said ICT development was among the top priorities of the Pakatan Rakyat state government.

“ICT development is also part of our good governance plan and we are working to provide as much of state government department services as possible through e-services,” she said.

She said Selangor was also working towards a paperless government to make it easier to track documents in order to avoid problems like files being misplaced.

Rodziah said that as the first step to introducing ICT in state government operations, the Mentri Besar, state executive councillors and government department heads would be connected through an instant messaging service inside the Dewan when the state assembly sitting begins Wednesday.

“The computers and technology are already there at the Dewan,” she said.

NEWS: Selangor state assembly to go live

We will not censor any part of the proceedings and this will allow the people to monitor the performance of their elected representatives at the assembly... RODZIAH ISMAIL

THE public will have the opportunity to watch the 12th Selangor State Assembly proceedings live through the Internet.

The Pakatan Rakyat government will also be the first to provide live coverage of the sitting in full.

The three-day session, which will begin tomorrow and end on Monday, will be aired via its official portal http//www.selan-gor,gov.my.

Selangor science technology and innovation committee chairman Rodziah Ismail said this was the first time the full session of the state assembly would be given live coverage.

She said the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's opening of the state assembly today would be also go live.

Rodziah said there would be no censorship of any segment of the coverage to provide the people of Selangor the opportunity to have a real feeling of the assembly.

“We will not censor any part of the proceedings and this will allow the people to monitor the performance of their elected representatives at the assembly.

“This will allow the public to view for themselves the Q&A sessions, debate and the policy-making process without any form of hindrance,'' she said.

The decision to provide live coverage, Rodziah said, was consistent with the state's aim of operating a transparent government with good governance.

”All those who have a PC or laptop with Internet connection can watch the session live from their homes, office and even coffee shops,'' she said.

Rodziah also said the live streaming would also mean that the representatives would be more cautious.

He said they had to be cautious with their language, mannerism and conduct during the session since it would be watched by the masses.

“This will also motivate the elected representatives both from the government and opposition to be on their toes,'' she said.

NEWS: Government to have independent appraisal of e-court system

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will appoint independent IT consultants to advise on past proposals for implementing an e-court system.

“We will review all contracts related to IT so that whatever e-system we implement finally is one that is efficient, transparent and keeps track of all case files so that at any one time we will know their status,” Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who is the de facto law minister, told The Star.

“I want independent IT consultants – no one connected to any service provider company – to tell us whether the past proposals are useful and workable.”

He said this when asked for an update on the Government’s RM40mil pilot e-court management system that included a court recording and transcription (CRT) system.

On whether the government would replace the analogue CRT system in 65 court rooms at the Jalan Duta Court Complex, which opened last year, since judges testing that system found it fraught with problems compared with the digital CRT systems in 11 other courts, he replied:

“If a system works we will use it, if not, we will change it; I am only responsible for what happens from now.”

On the fact that any time gained from using CRT to record proceedings was lost in delays in transcription because judges’ secretaries or court clerical staff – standing in as transcribers – were unfamiliar with legal jargon and not competent in English, he said training could be provided.

Zaid said it could be possible to implement a suggestion that such staff be part of a closed service so that the judiciary would not lose them to another department after the staff members are trained.

“I believe that the career prospects of these people need to be taken care of. If JPA (Public Services Department) is amenable to the idea, a suitable solution can be found,” he added when told that the judiciary, however, would not want support staff to lose out on promotions.

“But that is a long-term strategy. In the short term, transcription services could even be outsourced,” he said.

Bar Council secretary Lim Chee Wee said the Government could call for an open tender if it was looking for a new IT service provider.

“Good governance dictates that the Government must award contracts on an open and competitive tender basis instead of direct negotiation,” he said.

NEWS: One k-economy framework for all to benefit

KNOWLEDGE economy, or k-economy, has been hyped up time and again in Malaysia, but unfortunately, to many it still remains a mystery both in fact and implementation. Add to that is the numerous action plans presented by a list of councils that seem to overlap.

Maximus says the Ministry is working on fine-tuning and placing all existing initiatives aimed at propelling specific fields such as science, ICT and biotechnology under one umbrella so they will be collectively focused towards one k-economy framework.

Against this backdrop, it is a relief to know that Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili has plans to create a clearer, more cohesive effort to realise the country’s goal of achieving k-economy.

Maximus, at a recent Press event in Kuala Lumpur, said the Ministry is working on fine-tuning and placing all existing initiatives aimed at propelling specific fields such as science, information and communications technology (ICT) and biotechnology under one umbrella so they will be collectively focused towards one k-economy framework.

“The Ministry co-ordinates a huge number of fields and groups, most of which have their own councils. Under the 9MP (Ninth Malaysia Plan), the main driver for the economy is knowledge, under which all these initiatives operate on. However, we’re a bit loose in many of these things, so we need to tidy up so there is a clear focus towards establishing k-economy for the country.”

This, he pointed out, may mean consolidationg some of the councils.

“We will be holding a whole series of seminars and discussions involving the private sector. That’s the area we want to look at in the remainder of the 9MP... that there be a consolidation under the knowledge aspect so that we look at science and technology in a broader sense. Of course, it will also mean linking with other Ministries that are dealing with knowledge (such as the Education Ministry and Human Resources Ministry).”

Maximus believes that there is huge knowledge at the lower level of society. While the Government encourages the development of science and innovation in the ICT and biotechnology fields that create award-winning products and discoveries, it also wants to encourage the lower level of society, he said.

After all, there is a lot of creativity among the poor, and innovation is about creating new ways of doing things that improve people’s lives. So, the Ministry wants to broaden this aspect.

Hopefully, the proposed consolidation will lead to effective implementation and realisation of the overall vision. It is high time that every level of society reaps the benefits from the greater plan.

NEWS: E-payment system from July

PETALING JAYA: By July 1, all payments to the Government will be made e-payable but counter services will still be available to those who prefer it.

Pemudah, the Government’s task force for facilitating businesses, said that this was a major initiative to make transactions with the Government agencies more efficient through the streamlining of e-payment systems.

The e-payment process will “convert” the facilities in a total of 106 agencies in three stages.

“Of that, 21 agencies will be ready by May 1, followed by 55 agencies by June 1, and the remaining 30 agencies by July.

“The debit card will come on stream by the end of 2008,” Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan said in a press statement yesterday.

He added that currently, 83 counters in 72 branches of the Road Transport Department (JPJ) accepted credit card payment for renewal of road tax.

JPJ also accepts payments via e-Services at 111 approved sites for booking of theory tests, issuance/ renewal of learners’ driving licences, renewal of competent driving licences and settling traffic summons.

Pemudah said it would spend the next six months streamlining several processes and measures related to public procurement, making it more transparent and accountable.

This comes in the wake of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s call during the Asean Integrity Dialogue recently for transparency and accountability in all such matters.

Another key improvement stated was on deferred payment and pre-clearance of cargo based on Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) of vessels, which would take effect from July 1.

“Customs will also be working with the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) to expand its Customs Golden Client and Authorised Economic Operator facilities to companies endorsed by FMM.

“ETA information will be made available to all Government agencies ahead of time to facilitate clearance at any time of the day and on weekends and public holidays,” he said.

Mohd Sidek also reminded the private sector that it had to assume its due role.

“Delays as experienced in the past are not always attributable to government processes but are caused by the private sector.

“The construction industry for example feeds into the lives of many of us in its various forms and facets.

Therefore the private sector must assume greater responsibility and accountability when implementing these projects,” he said.

“Delays and non-compliance from some of these projects have resulted in abandoned projects with its associated problems, as well as unacceptable levels of disruption and disturbance to the lives of people who live and work in the vicinity.

“Sub-standard quality of work by developers and contractors alike has also affected buyers of properties,” he reaffirmed.

NEWS: 政府工不是鐵飯碗雇員隨時隨地電子學習

別以為打政府工就是鐵飯碗！在知識經濟時代，沒有永遠不變的東西，誠如大馬公共服務局總監丹斯里Ismail Adam推介政府公務員電子學習網站EPSA時表示，若政府公務員沒有與時並進地不斷進修，很可能會“消失”。

他說：“若政府公務員不自我進修，除了可能‘消失’外，還會變得脫節和失去升職的機會。”由於政府過去在公務員在職培訓與進修，一直面對很多難題，因此由國家公共管理學院（INTAN）開設了一個專門給公務員在職培訓和進修的電子學習網站：www.epsa.intan.my，讓公務員隨時隨地地學習政府提供的各種課程。

政府公務員只要到EPSA網站填報資料註冊後（至少需時一天處理），即可使用該網站的全部服務。總監表示，開設EPSA網站只是第一步，隨後政府會不斷增加培訓內容和改良網站功能。

NEWS: Public sector gets IT savier

The Government has allocated RM5.7 billion for information and communications technology under the Ninth Malaysia Plan in hopes of transforming the public sector into becoming tech savvier, more citizen-focused and business-like.

Public sector tech plans to expand

By Rozana Sani

THE adoption of information and communications technology (ICT) in the public sector will be expanded widely, both in terms of online delivery channels and infrastructure development.

This is in line with the maxim for the public service this year, which is to institutionalise a consistent quality and turnaround time of service across all 28 Ministries, over 750 agencies and 144 local
councils in 13 States and the Federal Territory nationwide.

According to Chief Secretary-General Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, the deployment of ICT is key to supporting the public sector mantra of One Service, One Delivery, No Wrong Door.

“The emphasis, focus and efforts for 2008 is replicating our success at improving delivery standards as promised in 2007 across all Ministries, agencies, departments and local uthorities,” he said in his recent paper entitled The Malaysian Public Service Commitments 2008.

To encourage online transactions, the Government will set up more online delivery channels to speed up current methods of doing things. A key initiative will be the Business Licensing Electronic Support System, a one-stop portal for the application, monitoring and approval
of business licences that will eliminate the need to go through various agencies. It aims to reduce red tape and make it easier to do business in the country.

E-payments involving Government agencies also will be expanded to cover a wider array of transactions through Internet banking and credit card payment.

E-Perolehan, for example, will ease procurement and payment to even more contractors this year while E-Khidmat will facilitate online payment of summonses, driving licence applications, bill and assessment charge payments, queries on the status of insolvency and closing of
businesses.

The Government’s SMS Gateway will offer services such as payments and enquiries as well as information on approvals and reminders while E-Lodgement will further facilitate the registration of companies and businesses.

Then there is the E-Kadaster project, which uses global positioning system to expedite the issuance of landed and strata titles. And the already announced 999 One Country, One Number system will be strengthened further to ensure citizens have efficient and fast access to emergency services.

As for the National Broadband initiative, the expansion of the project will provide the necessary infrastructure to support services to citizens and businesses.


There is also the National Single Window initiative, which is expected to enable seamless submission of documentation for exports and imports.