E-Government in Malaysia: Its implementation so far and citizen’s adoption strategies




E-government means the use of internet technology as a policy for exchanging information, providing delivery of public services and transactions with citizens, businesses and other arms of government. The most expectations for e-government are improved efficiency, convenience, and better accessibility of public services.


Malaysia’s e-government initiative starts in 1997 with the launch of the Multimedia Super Corridor’s E-Government Flagship Application. The vision for Malaysia government is to enable government to become more responsive and refills the needs for its citizens.


The seven pilot projects of the Electronic Government Flagship Application are:

1. Project Monitoring System (SPP II) - PMS project provides the new system for development projects observation. Scope of this project comprises 3 aspects (application, data, and communication) that aim to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of project management.


2. Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) - HRMIS is an integrated, technology-enabled Human Resource Management Information System for the Malaysian Public Service, incorporating Global Best Practices in HR that would enable the Public Service to successfully deal with the Challenges of the K-Economy.


3. Generic Office Environment (GOE) - great document and office management solution that enables users to effectively and efficiently handle their office environment. It is fully web-based and has been customized based on local developed package, DRDok.


4. Electronic Procurement (EP) www.eperolehan.com.my/– end-to-end electronic procurement system that enables Government Agencies around the country to procure products and services electronically from both local and international suppliers. E-Procuremeent transaaction value grew in 2006: RM 2 Billion worth of contract


5. Electronic Services (E-Services) http://www.eservices.com.my/- Provide perform transactions with various service supplier example Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ), Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM), Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB)

6. Electronic Labour Exchange (ELX)http://www.elx.gov.my/ - Electronic Labour Exchange captured 300,834 job seekers, 1,544,881 vacancies and 823,430 job matches

7. E-Syariah http://www.esyariah.gov.my/ - integrated with the Muslim Marriage System

Now goverment already provide 3,749 Government forms can be downloaded for free and 1,174 online services are available on the Portal.

The Problems faced by e-government are information infrastructure, efficiency, quality of service, lacks of public awareness ,language barrier and public administration. Government still not enough effort put for awareness.Many citizens do not use e-government for several reasons, amongthese unfamiliarity with ICT, lack of access, lack of training, and concerns about privacy and security of information.

So E-government may provide easy and convenience in the delivery of public services, and offer innovative government services that will prompt citizens.

Review on E-Commerce Site (Amazon.com)

I was reviewing on the Amazon.com. As I know, Amazon.com, Inc. was established by Jeff Bezos in the year 1994, and its e-commerce site was launched on the internet in 1995. Furthermore, Amazon is the very first foremost leading companies to execute business activities through the internet and it also act as intermediaries in transaction between buyers and seller. In Amazon web page, we able to look for merchandise such as digital video disk, furniture, electronic, jewelry, health and wellness, furniture, and etc. in its e-commerce site.

The first thought came through me about Amazon.com is just that it is just a website for electronically buying and selling activities that highlight on price offer and the features for the product itself. Eventually, after I surf into Amazon.com homepage, I found that Amazon.com provide recommendations for seller and also buyers, is something exactly being your personal buying or selling consultant.

Besides that, I found that Amazon.com offer service to assist buyers and seller that newly approach to the e-commerce business, in short, is to add on a new experience to them on dealing business that is not only physical approach but is through the internet. Additionally, I discovered Amazon.com is strong in customer tracking which it presents an ongoing, up-to-date comment to its customer. This is essential to a successful operation to be aware on the business activities and to recognize your primary customer on what are their need and wants, as well as their expectation from the company itself. Furthermore, customer tracking helps to build a good relation towards the company and the consumer trends. Amazon.com features multi-level e-commerce tactics towards its service. In short, Amazon.com allows other multi-level marketing company to market their product or services directly to its platform besides their own merchandise. For instance, Target and Toys 'R Us.

The world now is stepping towards technology and globalization, online business gives business people more benefit than harm, why not giving a try to extend business to online consumers with this method? After surfing in Amazon.com, I feel that people that do not have enough of financial capital, business experiences, time consuming, men-power, are most likely welcome to invest in e-commerce technology to market your product to worldwide.

Things to take note to prevent e-auction fraud when a consumer participating in an e-auction

This era, e-auction plays as an important role in electronic commerce, and many buyers and sellers enjoy the convenience and there is few popular e-auction website such as Ebay, Amazon, and some local e-auction website such as lelong.com has generate considerable income in doing business of electronic auction. Due to the convenience and rapidly increase of trade figures, many liar aim the area of e-auction and they start to deceive the user of e-auction. There is several types of e-auction fraud, such as:
1. Bid shielding: having fake bidders bid at very high prices and then later pull out at the last minute
2. Shilling : placing fake bids on auction items to artificially jack up the bidding price
3. Fake photos and misleading descriptions
4. Improper grading techniques
5. Selling reproductions
6. Failure to pay the auction house

So we should be aware of all types of e-auction fraud, and there is several ways to prevent e-auction fraud as well, such as :

1. User identity verification
Such in IC number, driver’s license number or date of birth. For example, verified eBay user, the voluntary program, encourages users to supply eBay with information for online verification.

2. Authentication service.
It is to determine whether an item is genuine and described appropriately. It difficult to perform because their training and experience, experts can detect counterfeits based on subtle detail.

3. Grading services
This is a way to determine the physical condition of an item, such as ‘poor quality’ or ‘mint condition. Different item have different grading systems. For example, trading cards are graded from A1 to F1, while coins are graded from poor to perfect recalculated.

4. Feedback forum.
It allows buyers and sellers to build up their online trading reputations. It provides user with ability to comment on their experiences with other.

5. Insurance policy
For example, eBay offers insurance underwritten, users are covered up to $200, will with a $25 deductible. The program is provided at no cost to eBay user.

6. Escrow services
Both buyers and sellers in a deal are protected with an independent third party. Buyer mails the payment to escrow services which verifies the payment and alerts the seller when everything checks out. An example of a provider of online escrow services s i-Escrow and 1hostMalaysia.
For 1hostMalaysia:

1HostMalaysia is the only ICANN Accredited Domain Registrar that has a special registrar escrow account devoted to domain escrow services. We have also partnered with Citibank, the largest financial services companies in the world, to make sure that escrowed funds will be protected while you’re buying or selling your domain names.

When you use 1HostMalaysia’s domain escrow services, you will receive:
Peace of Mind – the domain names will be transferred to escrow before funds are released to the seller.
Security – knowing that your financial information is going to a neutral third party and not a stranger.
Money Back Guarantee – if the seller doesn’t properly transfer the domain names, 1HostMalaysia will refund your money back to your account.
Convenience – deposit monies into escrow using credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), personal, business, cashier’s or certified check, PayPal, or wire transfer.

7. Non-payment punishment
To protect sellers, a friendly warning for first-time nonpayment. A sterner warning is for second-time offense, with a 30 day suspension for a third offense and an indefinite suspension for a fourth offense.

8. Appraisal services
Which use a variety of methods to appraise items. It includes expert assessment of authenticity and condition, and reviewing what comparable items have sold for in the marketplace in recent months.

9. Item verification
Which is a way of confirm he identity and evaluate the condition of an item. Third parties will evaluate and identify an item through a variety of means. For example, some collectors have their item “DNA tagged” for identification purpose. It provides a way of tracking an item if it charges ownership in future.

10. Physical inspection
It can eliminate many problems especially for collectors’ item

refer to ( http://www.crime-research.org/library/Fraud.htm )