Impact of ICT in Malaysia

In 1991 the then Prime Minister of Malaysia declared this country's vision, referred to as Vision 2020. Vision 2020 is divided into three sections. The title of the first sums up the main goal, "Malaysia as a Fully Developed Country" by the year 2020. Vision 2020 lists nine societal goals for the country and all Malaysians: unified, ‘psychologically' liberated, democratic, moral and ethical, tolerant, scientific and progressive, caring, economically just and prosperous. Vision 2020 identifies a perspective of the future that factors Malaysia's unique characteristics into being a developed country in its ‘own mould.' Vision 2020 is the nation's roadmap as virtually all government strategies and plans are tied to it. These were ambitious dreams and ICTs were seen to be major drivers to achieve the targets of 2020.

Recognising the importance of the telecommunication industries to the growth and application of ICTs, a major overhaul of the industry was undertaken through the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA). The Act establishes a regulatory framework in support of national policy objectives for the communications industry. Services regulated under the Act include traditional broadcasting and telecommunications, as well as computer networks, and content carried over those systems. The CMA seeks to provide a common set or regulatory provisions based on generic definitions of communications services. It is therefore suited to a converged environment where the same digital information can be transported over any electronic network. In an innovative approach to legislation, the CMA contains ten national policy objectives. The Act thus complements the traditional ‘shall/shall not' tendency of legislation with a statement of ‘why'. The ten national objectives are:

1. To establish Malaysia as a major global centre and hub for communications and multimedia information and content services;
2. To promote a civil society where information-based services will provide the basis of continuing enhancements to quality of work and life;
3. To grow and nurture local information resources and cultural representation that facilitate the national identity and global diversity;
4. To regulate for the long-term benefit of the end-user;
5. To promote a high level of consumer confidence in service delivery from the industry;
6. To ensure provision of affordable services over ubiquitous national infrastructure;
7. To create a robust applications environment for end users;
8. To facilitate the efficient allocation of resources such as skilled labour, capital, knowledge and national assets;
9. To promote the development capabilities and skills within Malaysia's convergence industries; and
10. To ensure information security and network reliability and integrity.

Many commentators complement the designers, planners and policy makers of the Act, as well as the many instruments that were spawned through this act as being creative, innovative and supportive for an orderly development of ICTs in our country. Some of the many developments associated with this imaginative approach are captured in Figure 1.2 below.

Figure 1.2 Potential applications of ICT to support development in Malaysia

Source: Salmah Khairuddin (2005) Electronic Government in Malaysia (slide 13)
http://www.cicc.or.jp/japanese/kunibetsu/pdf_ppt/Malaysia-CIO_JAPAN_version_2.pdf (Accessed 12 April 2012)

By and large, Malaysia's achievement of its primary targets has been highly commended by many. ICTs have begun to influence our lives as citizens in many ways. The various published reports seem to indicate the greatest benefits from the following domains. There may be others and if you know of them you may wish to add to the list. The domains are:

1. Communication and Leisure: People often use computers in public venues for their own personal enjoyment. Development gains (or losses) from playing computer games or using social media might not be immediate, but these types of uses can support development outcomes in the long run. For example, leisurely exploring interests online may build potential skills or knowledge that lead to positive outcomes later, and using ICTs for personal communication, through e-mail and chatting, can help people maintain or expand valuable social networks.
2. Culture and Language: Many people use ICTs to share cultural information, both traditional and popular. Some might do this by organising or attending events. Others may create websites or blogs in local languages or benefit from reading such content. Can we say that technology in libraries, telecentres, and cybercafes has helped users maintain or express cultural identity, preserve languages, or support cultural practices or experiences in other ways?
3. Education: Through computers and Internet availability, people can gain access to information and tools that support learning. Students can use software to complete homework and improve their performance at school. Adolescents and adults might seek out admissions or financial aid information for new educational opportunities or to participate in online workshops. Such uses can support positive educational outcomes that may lead to a range of development goals, from economic impacts to enhancing quality of life.
4. Employment and Income: People can use ICTs to find jobs, prepare resumes, or improve their skills and enhance their employability. Entrepreneurs can use the Internet to sell products and services or expand customer bases. Others use online information to support their work, whether through pricing decisions, discovering new production techniques, or exploring new ways to earn income. Additionally, using ICTs might help people send or receive remittances. To what extent do people use public access ICTs to support such activities and what are the impacts?
5. Governance: National, regional, and local governments are increasingly creating and maintaining a web presence to share information with, and solicit information from their constituents. Are people using public access computers to contact officials, improve their access to public services, or hold the government more accountable? Are people connecting with NGOs, political parties, or other groups to increase civic participation? Effectively using ICTs for these purposes can have a significant impact on people's lives and the communities they live in.
6. Health: Increasingly, information about health is provided online. The Internet can provide people with better access to information about illnesses, disease prevention and treatment, medical conditions, diet and nutrition, or health care providers. To what extent have people used public access ICTs to obtain information that resulted in better health outcomes for themselves, their families, or others in their communities?

(Extracted from http://www.globalimpactstudy.org/researchdesign/research-problem/, Accessed 22 June 2011)

However there are also weaknesses that require attention from our nation. A review undertaken jointly by both our Economic Planning Unit and the United Nations Development Programme for Malaysia suggested that we could benefit from better co-ordination amongst the various actors in the field.

The next activity is an extract of the PowerPoint presentation made by Harris et al on the digital divide in Malaysia.