E-Government in Malaysia: Its implementation so far & citizen's adoption strategies

What is electronic government? Logo of e-government

E-government means the government activities that takes place by digital process over a computer network, usually the internet, WAN and mobile computing between the government & members of the public & entities in private sector, especially regulated entities. The activities which included electronic exchange of information to acquire or provide products or services, to place or receive order, to provide or obtain information or to complete financial transactions. E-government may come to define a new or transformed relationship between citizens and government enabled by networks.

Implementation of e-government started since the initiation of Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in 1996 by the Malaysian government.

The implementation issues of e-government:

i) disintermediation of e-government & citizens

ii)disturbances to the status quo

iii)nature of services provided by state including environmental social, cultural, educational and consumer issues

The implementation statusof e-government project in Malaysia:

i)Generic Office Environment (GOE)

ii)Electronic Procurement (eP) project

iii)Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS)

iv)Project Monitoring System (PMS)

v)Electronic Services Directory (eServices)

vi)Electronic Labour Exchange (ELX)

vii)E-Syariah

viii)Other application: companies online tax

Factors for a successful E-government implementation in Malaysia:

i)E-government challenges existing ways of working

ii)E-government requires leadership

iii)seamless e-government service will draw agencies closer together

iv)need for ITC-related skills (technical skill & decision making skills) in government increases

v)E-government involved cooperation between government, private sector & e-government coordinators

vi)monitoring & evaluation are essential to effective e-government

The success & acceptance of e-government initiatives are dependent on citizen's wilingness to adopt & utilize these services. Success in delivering electronic services depends upon the capability & self-confidence of citizens in performing e-transaction, as well as their trust & confidence in the protection of their personal data within an open & accountable government. Many citizens in Malaysia do not use e-government because of unfamiliarity with ICT, lack of access, lack of training and concerns about privacy & security of infomation. Thus, e-government policy must consider a citizen-centered approach. This means that e-government should be an end-user or demand-driven service while e-government may provide ease & convenience in the delivery of public services and offer innovative government service to citizens.