Day: January 23, 2008

Reinvention of Future Governance through E-Government

By: Sonny Zulhuda*

Introduction

This paper is aimed at assessing the perspectives and experiences of Malaysia on the concept and application of electronic government (e-government), more on policy context. Attempts are made to observe preparatory initiatives taken by the government of Malaysia in three distinctive but interconnected aspects: administrative measures, regulatory frameworks, and public participation. Some update applications of e-government in Malaysia will also be touched at the later part. This paper will be ended by underlining the lessons that can be learned by Indonesia in seeking the best format for e-government application, especially in tabling policies and regulatory framework.

E-Government Defined

Electronic Government (E-Government) is variably defined, but basically refers to “the use by government agencies of information technologies (such as Wide Area Networks, the Internet, and mobile computing) that have the ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.”[1] Nevertheless in this context, this general meaning of the Information Technology (IT) has been so much associated to the use of the Internet. Thus e-government would generally mean the development and utilization of Internet-based solutions in government services and works. Exactly like e-commerce, which is a utilization of Internet-based solutions in business activities.

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Cybersquatting and Some Legal Concerns Surrounding Corporate Websites

By Sonny Zulhuda

Introduction

The corporate world today has grabbed the efficiencies of information and communications technology (ICT) in its maximum use. Regardless the size and area of industries, workplaces have been equipped with cutting-edge tools of the computers technology and connected to the Internet. With the adoption of electronic tools such as computers, Internet or Intranet, businesses have been operated more or less electronic way. Meeting notices are no longer served by printed paper, and personal data of employees and customers are no longer kept on bulk of papers previously stored in wooden or metal cabinets. In large extent, the electronic mail (email) and electronic storage have been used to replace traditional way of doing business.

Websites have now become a virtual address of companies. They are used to publish companies’ profile, products, promotions, activities, as well as interactive portals. In Malaysia, for public listed companies alone, there are already 225 public listed companies that have website for their business operations, ranging from merely informational sites to commercially designed and transactional websites (Source: Bursa Malaysia). Besides, more and more government agencies are also posting their websites in the World Wide Web.

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Making a Case for Cyberlaws

(An excerpt from the Interview between Shom -the reporter, with me as published in The Star Daily, 6 October 2005)

WHAT prevents people from driving recklessly, forging signatures, breaking into homes, kidnapping or stealing? Ideally, conscience should be enough but it’s more likely because people don’t want to pay the penalties for these crimes. And thanks to law enforcement, people are compelled to conduct themselves properly so the rest of us can go about our daily affairs with peace of mind.

 

So, if laws are essential to communities in the conventional world, what of the Internet – a networked world in which more and more of us dwell in each day?

 

“It is a myth that cyberlaws are ‘high profile’ legal matters that concern only techies, computer scientists and information security professionals,” said Sonny Zulhuda, a cyberlaws researcher at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM).

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