Malaysia's E-government

I dread going to government offices.

It may be to apply for a new MyKad, to apply a passport, or to renew a driving license, what you get is just the same - long queue, a lot of hassle, and in the end, you have to come back a second time.

Now, with the widespread use of the Internet, government departments are setting up their own websites, to provide information and services to the citizens online. This is called electronic government (e-government).

In Malaysia, e-government started with the initiation of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), to lead Malaysia into the information age. Since then, the e-government has greatly increased the efficiency and effectiveness of almost all government functions.

There are 7 pilot projects in the e-government flagship application. These projects can be categorised into 3 groups as follows:


Government to Citizen (G2C)
Through Electronic Services, citizens can make transactions with government agencies, for example to pay utility bills or tax liabilities. These transactions can be done via eServices kiosks and over the internet in the comfort of one's own home at any convenient time.

To assist in job seeking and recruiting, the Electronic Labour Exchange (ELX) is implemented. The ELX is an online platform where employers and potential employees communicate. This platform is effective in matching jobs to candidates, in providing labour market information, and in assisting optimal labour utilization.

e-Syariah, the 7th project, is a system of case management for the syariah courts, to improve the quality, effectiveness and productivity of the courts' management and services.

Government to Business (G2B)
Only one project is under this category, and that is e-Procurement. This system enables suppliers to sell goods and services to the government via the internet. Transaction cycles are shortened and thus cost can be reduce.

Government to Government (G2G)
One of the most important projects under this category is the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS). It is a system developed for the Malaysian Public Service, with objectives including improving effective staffing and right-sizing of civil service, automating HR and operational processes, and promoting a paperless environment.

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

Lastly, there is the Project Monitoring System. This is an online system that monitors the entire lifecycle of national programs, i.e. from project application to approval to implementation, mid-term review and completion. With this system in place, Malaysia hopes to improve the quality of its projects by exchanging ideas for best practices and making effective decisions.

To improve customer adoption, many applications have been added to the e-government, such as filing of electronic tax returns, online renewal of driving license, registering voter information and SMS alerts on e-government services. Also, most websites are now bilingual, with Malay and English versions to suit the citizens' preference. Furthermore, besides major government agencies, many district and municipal councils have their own websites, mostly providing area-specific information to the local residents. Various advertisements are also published in the media to promote the awareness of the use of e-government services.

As is clearly seen, e-government has brought about many positive changes to the country. Even the e-government system itself is improving, ranking the 25th in the world - a fitting place as we move closer to Vision 2020.