You can see from both our lists that within a period of about 20 years ICTs have begun to play a critical role in the development of our nation and her citizens. Those who make it their business to study these trends estimate that there are some 23 million mobile subscribers in our country; our ownership of computers is now reaching almost 15 million units and some 2 million blogs are in circulation.

Consider the ways in which we apply ICTs to conduct our daily lives:

1. Business

How often do you use cash when purchasing your air ticket, paying restaurant bills (other than paying for your nasi kandar in that friendly Mamak shop) or hospital bills? You can literally use your credit card for almost every kind of purchase from motor cars and downpayment for your house, to the café latte at your nearest Starbucks or Kopitiam. Every time you use these credit cards or debit cards the cashier of the shop uses a terminal that connects to other computers via a network. Your identification details such as name, credit card number, and issuing bank are automatically transferred and verification (PIN number) obtained from you. Once everything is checked, including your credit limits, money is transferred from your account to the vendor's account. While Malaysia is not yet a cashless society, we are getting there - one example of a cashless transaction is the LRT/MRT stored value travel cards used by commuters. How long do you think before cash becomes a thing of the past for daily transactions such the ones that I just mentioned?

2. Financial services

Every time you use a debit or credit card the shop till uses a terminal connected to other computers via a network. Your identification details are automatically transferred from your card to your bank or credit card company for verification, and your balance adjusted accordingly. Similar concept also applies if you are shopping online, or purchasing a cinema ticket over the phone, withdrawing cash at the ATM machine (e.g., Kawanku) and checking your bank balance wherever you are in the world. The machines are networked to a central computer, which has records of your account in a database. Most Malaysian banks, like their counterparts all over the world, also provide banking services via the Internet, hence minimising the need for customers to visit a branch.

Financial services have undergone huge changes in recent years as a result of the development of ICT systems. This has led to the need for increased security procedures to combat new types of fraud. It has also led to changes in many areas of commerce; for example, the role of travel agents has changed as more people book their own holidays directly online.

Some types of business have disappeared completely as online and computer-based information have taken their place. For example, in parts of the Western World, buying books from bookshops is no longer the most popular method. Amazon.com with its Kindle and Apple with its iPad are gradually changing how people buy books. Similarly, new types of business have been created, such as online auctions like eBay.

3. Entertainment

The world of entertainment is constantly evolving with the advent of new technologies. Digital broadcasting has changed the way we experience television, with more interactive programming and participation. Digital cameras, printers and scanners have enabled more people to experiment with image production. Computer gaming has been an important influence in the development of graphical interfaces. Technology has been at the forefront of changes in the production and distribution of music, as well as in the ways in which people can access and listen to music.

4. Public services

Since 2001 when the Malaysian government embarked on its massive transformation programme driven by ICT, many of the nation's public services at federal, state and local council levels have become available through online or ICT dependent facilities. Malaysians today can renew their driving licenses online, file their income tax papers online and verify their EPF balance online or at an electronic kiosk. Many of the government departments make available application forms for one or another purpose online. A lot of these online services are available through a unique personal identification identity card called MyKad. The card is a compulsory identity document for all Malaysian citizens above 12 and must be carried by the person all the time.

Though a personal identity card regime has been in the country since colonial times, the digital version was introduced by the National Registration Department of Malaysia in 2001. A replacement version of the card in the form of a High Quality Identity Card with a 64kb EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) chip was subsequently introduced. These cards have a data retention capacity of up to 20 years and serves to provide a number of functions besides confirming identity of the individual through a photo and fingerprint (biometric) markers.

Currently the card facilitates the renewal of driving license and serves as a travel document (though not for international travel). The card's potential uses include serving as an ‘electronic wallet' (stored cash value), Touch n Go for toll roads, digital certificate as well as an ATM card. This card may be ahead of its time even in Malaysia as many of the potential benefits are yet to be realised. Figure 1.1 illustrates eight applications that the Malaysian government envisages will be the backbone in transforming our nation into an advance user of technologies for purposes of government, businesses and citizens' daily lives.

Figure 1.1 Eight applications under the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit
Source: Salmah Khairuddin (2005) Electronic Government in Malaysia (slide 7), http://www.cicc.or.jp/japanese/kunibetsu/pdf_ppt/Malaysia-CIO_JAPAN_version_2.pdf (Accessed 12 April 2012)

5. ICT systems at home

Many urban homes in our country have one or more appliances that are driven by advanced electronics. The most pervasive is ASTRO, the cable TV provider. Increasingly, however, the ultra rich among us are also installing a variety of systems like lighting, security, air conditioning and others that are intelligently connected to master controls linked to computers and cell phones etc. The smart home that integrates all of these is fast making its appearance in individual homes and pricey condominiums. What this means to the owner is a facility which he/she can access even when away from home - to turn on the lights or the air conditioners or even warm the food.

6. The Internet

The Internet has become a major factor in enabling information sharing and has had a huge impact on the availability of information of all kinds. Material on the Internet reflects widely differing viewpoints and sources: from official news bulletins to unofficial rumours, and from commercial megastores to community portals. The Internet has revolutionised the way information can be published, raising questions about the authority and regulation of content. Because of the way the Internet has been designed, no individual government, company or person has control over it. At the last count [2010] about 17 million Malaysians were reported as using the Internet. We shall consider more about the Internet in the next section of this module.

7. Education

In subsequent modules of this course we will be delving into greater details of how ICT has influenced and changed the ways in which we teach, learn, assess, reach out and administer education. For now I would like you to reflect how the new technologies are changing the environment in your school. For example do you use the power of computers, mobile phones, electronic tablet projection technologies, photocopiers, data projectors and electronic boards in your daily work in school? In what ways are these helpful? Are they distracting, if so, in what ways?