E-Government in Malaysia: Its Implementation so far and Citizen's Adoption Strategies

Malaysia is implementing electronic government, generally known as ‘e-government’. The implementation of e-government was initiated by the introduction of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in 1996. The e-government initiative launched the country into the Information Age.

Implementation of E-Government Projects in Malaysia

Most of the e-government project implementations are currently in progress. The e-government projects are:

1) Generic Office Environment (GOE)
2) Electronic Procurement (eP)
3) Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS)
4) Project Monitoring System (PMS)
5) Electronic Services Delivery (eServices)
6) Electronic Labor Exchange (ELX)
7) E-Syariah.


The implementation of e-government would bring benefits to the public administration and Malaysian society in several ways as shown below:

• E-government improves efficiency since the use of information technology enables improvement in mass processing tasks and public administration operations. Hence, e-government applications can generate savings on data collection and transmission.

• E-government improves services, as the main element in reforming government operations is to adopt a customer-focussed approach. The e-government application is developed based on best understanding of citizen requirements. These applications will provide a seamless online service and thus improve traditional government services.

• E-government would help to achieve specific outcomes. The internet can help stakeholders share information and ideas and contribute to specific policy outcomes. For example, online information can boost training programme, sharing health information can improve resource use and patient care.

Citizen's Adoption Strategies

The main challenge in e-government in Malaysia is the technological challenge, which includes issues like standards, data integration, legacy maintenance and privacy and security. In order to make the right decisions and avoid falling behind, governments must identify and resolve the different issues that have arisen from the transition period during which traditional and e-government co-exist. Rather than just focusing on introduction of ICTs, government should decide, guide and control the transformation of government into e-government. The use of ICT to strengthen the involvement of citizens and businesses in public decision-making must be progress at the same time. In short, implementing good strategies must be addressed carefully. Otherwise, e-government will remain misleading.

Things to take note to prevent e-auction fraud when a consumer participating in an e-auction

No messy garage sales; No disturbing phone calls from classified ads. Simply bring items to one of locations (local pick-ups available). With over 140 million users, eBay is the perfect place to sell your items.







Definition of Internet auction fraud includes the following wrong doings:

-Non-delivery of items
-Misrepresentation of the value of an item
-Triangulation: involvement of three parties in which perpetrator steals goods from online merchant
-Fee stacking: adding extra charges once bidding is complete
-Sale of black-market goods
-Multiple bidding by same buyer under different aliases
-Shill bidding: false bidding by the sellerThe IFCC says that in 2000, auction fraud cost consumers $4 million.

As of April 2001, the IFCC has received 4,000 online auction complaints which have cost roughly $3.2 million. The Center found that there are six major categories of e-auction fraud. Though the sale of beanie babies (plush children's toys) accounts for the greatest percentage share of auction fraud (27%), it does not command the greatest overall loss for consumers

Following tips to the public on e-auction.

- check the reputation of the e-auction site and their policy to protect their customers and customer's personal data

- know the buyers/ sellers- If possible, deal with the buyers/ sellers in person.

- If there is any doubt on the identity of the buyers/sellers, don't make payment or ship out the goods.

- Get the details of the sellers/buyers before making payment or sending out the goods.

One thing that could have helped Motwane is to check the seller’s reputation. Many auction sites have a section where every seller’s feedback score is reflected. Some sites assign a community-ranking system to every user’s profile. Reputable sellers will have overwhelmingly positive comments or messages from people they’ve done business with in the past.

On the other hand, if the seller has many negative comments attesting their failure to ship the item on time, then insist on using a method of delivery. Like many sites provide buyer protection, such as courier delivery, because in such cases even if you don’t get what you pay for, you will always get a refund from the website.

Also, if the seller doesn’t have a high rating (or no rating at all) but you still want the item, check him or her out the old fashioned way. Look them up in the Yellow pages or local directory services. See if they come from where they say they come from. Also, search for their name in Google or Yahoo.

Despite that there have been cases where people have gone out giving credit card number via email. So this is one important thing to beware of -- make sure that while paying, never wire money to anyone’s account under any circumstances. Use one of the methods authorised by the website, such as paisa pay and also read the rules of insurance before making the purchase. Again, never, under any circumstance, give out credit card numbers or bank details via email.

“Documentary Letters of Credit are the appropriate payment method for items over $10,000, especially if the transaction is one time only or conducted between strangers,”

“eAuctions frequently offer automobiles, boats, planes, machinery, earth moving and farm equipment, which people would export for more money if the payment options were available. PayPal’s recent changes protect the buyer from fraud, but now the seller feels penalized and loses control of their property. Commercial banks have successfully completed global transactions like this for hundreds of years, and they are experts at avoiding fraud, so eAuction sellers should use their services.”

Until eAuction sites include generic commercial banking terms for Documentary Letters of Credit on their payments page, traders can use the following guidelines to structure transactions (alternatively, these guidelines are available on InterNetLC.com’s website: http://www.internetlc.com/):

EITHER 1: The seller should specify that they will accept a Documentary Letters of Credit in the body of their ad. The winning bidder uses PayPal for the deposit, and has ten days to open the Documentary Letter of Credit with a commercial bank for the balance.

INCOTERMS:

FOB (for an ocean shipment),
CPT (for an air shipment).
EXW (Ex Works - seller makes the goods available at a specified location .

[e.g. factory, warehouse] to the buyer. Seller is not responsible for loading the goods in the vehicle provided by the buyer, or for clearing the goods for export.)
Before the Seller accepts the bid, it’s a good idea to call the local U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center or World Trade Center to ask if there are any export formalities required on this item. eBay provides some “Know Your Customer” information as well as access to lists of prohibited items for export to which countries, but independent expert advice is important.

OR 2: The buyer opens a Documentary Letters of Credit at an international commercial bank, and completes all the import paperwork BEFORE they start bidding.

The buyer waits to see an advertisement that indicates in the written description that Documentary Letters of Credit are welcome, and bids on the item. If they win the bid, the seller can use the above list to see that the terms match before accepting the bid.

When the bid is accepted, the buyer gives their bank the seller/payee information, the Documentary Letters of Credit is amended and activated, and the transaction proceeds.

TIP 3: If the seller wants to be paid before the item is shipped, when they receive the Letter of Credit from their bank they should contact a company like InterNetLC.com, which provides pre-shipment short-term financing, as well as prepares all the international trade finance documents, for a minimal fee and percentage. “We look over the paperwork, and provided it is correct, we can usually implement the funding decision within five working days. Unfortunately we have no control over the deposit monies, which will be processed at PayPal’s discretion,” Dunlop concluded.

The Application of Pre-Paid Cash Card for Consumers

What is Pre-Paid Cash Card?
Prepaid cash card is using our existing money, rather than a credit card, which we borrow the money and then pay it back later. Prepaid cash card draw funds from our bank account, usually a checking account.

The advantages of prepaid cash card are:
1) Secure and safe financial transaction cards. It always needs a personal identification number to be keyed in for the transaction to be authorized. If someone steals the card information, or the physical prepaid cash cards, we do not need to worry about them using your money.

2) Portable access point to the checking account. Automated teller machines (ATM) are everywhere now, and we can use prepaid cash cards at ATM to withdrawal funds from our checking account in cash, deposit funds into our checking account, and even make an account balance inquiry. We don't have to go to the bank anymore to get money out of our checking account, and we don't need to have a personal computer handy to check the balance.

The downsides of prepaid cash card are:
1) Cannot use prepaid cash card to make "card not present" purchases, such as by buying something online.

2) Cannot use prepaid cash card in "quick pay" terminals that have a card reader but no keypad to enter a personal identification number.


Examples of Pre-Paid Cash Card:

Touch ‘n Go Card (Malaysia)

Touch ‘n Go card is an electronic purse that can be used at all highways in Malaysia, major public transports in Klang Valley, selected parking sites and Theme Park.

Touch ‘n Go uses contactless smartcard technology. The card looks similar to a credit card. User can continue using the card as long as it is pre-loaded with electronic cash. User can reload the card at toll plazas, train stations, Automated Teller Machines, Cash Deposit Machines, Petrol kiosks and at authorised third party outlets. Reload denomination is ranging from RM20 to RM500.

Touch ‘n Go enhances the speed of paying for low value but high frequency transactions. Apart from the speed, it is also very convenient because user no longer need to prepare for small change or wait in queue at the cash lane to complete the transaction.


Octopus Card (Hong Kong)

Octopus is an electronic payment system using a contactless smartcard, which use at Hong Kong. Octopus is a trademark of Octopus Cards Limited.

In the beginning they aimed to develop a simple way to pay fares on public transport in Hong Kong.

Then they extended their reach into simple micropayments for purchases in retail outlets and a simple way for cardholders to gain access to buildings and schools and to identify themselves.

Today, over 1,000 service providers accept Octopus, and new uses are regularly being added. Octopus' success is important to Hong Kong people not only because it's part of everyday life - it's also made everyday life so much easier.

Corporate Blogging: A new marketing communication tool for companies

According to Wikipedia, a corporate blogging is published and used by an organization to reach its organizational goals. The advantage of blogs is that posts and comments are easy to reach and follow due to centralized hosting and generally structured conversation threads. All current browsers (including Firefox, Opera, Safari and Internet Explorer 7) support RSS technology, which enables readers to easily read recent posts without actually visiting the blog, which is very useful for low-volume blogs.

There are some of the benefits which the the corporate blogging had brought into as follow:

You can made contacts with people I would never have met. The blog opens new opportunities.

Blogs are flexible enough to allow a dialogs, a conversation, a sharing of ideas, the revelation of the parties true insights and resources without corporate filtering.

A blog allows us to have an open dialog with customers. This open dialog allows us to align ourselves with our customers (ex: whatever they are passionate about, we are passionate about).

It has given us a much better two-way conversation with our consumers than we'd have without it.

Safe cost of capital to start a new business or marketing a new product as do not need to spend advertising expenses.

Wider range of exposure as it can access by anyone anywhere.

Flexibility of time in making business transactions.

Ouch ! ! ! Credit Card Debts: Causes and Prevention

Credit is a method of selling goods or services without the buyer having cash in hand. A credit card is only an automatic way of offering credit to a consumer. Today, every credit card carries an identifying number that speeds shopping transactions. Imagine what a credit purchase would be like without it, the sales person would have to record your identity, billing address, and terms of repayment.

Each issuer produced one card with one set of features. Today, credit cards come in multiple levels with ranging interest rates, fees and reward programs, so before you fill out an application, it's important to know which will best suit your financial situation and lifestyle.

CAUSES

Credit card debts result from when a client of a credit card company purchased an item or services through the card they use. Debts accumulate increase with interest and penalties for late payment had made the total amount due become larger.
Credit card debt is said to be increasing in the industries areas. Sometime the late fees, over the limit fees, high annual percentage rates, and universal default overcome customer who frequently do not pay off their debts, and the customer declares bankruptcy.

The real culprit behind the scenario is the desire to spend money. Many other culprits seem to be the causes of credit card debts such as lack of concern that their unable to meet the credit card payment obligation. There is no creditor hounding us for the payment and lack of self-discipline in dealing with credit management. We never know how to spend wisely and every single cent spend go toward keeping up with the minimum payment. Unfortunately this distressing situation is the common norm of many people.

Another negative consequence of using credit card is that you will never feel like you are spending the real money. The pleasant feeling you experiences when you purchase the items are disconnected from the unpleasant feeling of making the credit card payment when received the statement. To get control of your credit card spending you need to examine what money really means to you. Studies show that people with low self-esteem tend to purchase more the thing they don't need.

PREVENTION

1.Repay sensibly to payoff what you owe. Small step can be a huge different.
Learn how to make a realistic repayment plan and follow the five ways to reduce your debts.
Pay more than the minimum payment each month, if you ever hope to pay off your credit card debt. You must also pay on time or a finance charge will be added onto the total, creating a larger minimum payment for the next month — and a larger finance charge added to the total again if you don’t pay it. Get a system for credit card debt reduction. You need your own deadline each month for paying bills.Negotiate with credit card companies. The amount of credit card debt in this country has made creditors realize that if they don’t want people backing down from their obligations completely. If you have a limited budget for debt reduction, write letters to each of your creditors acknowledging the situation, and tell each one when you can begin repayment. If you have a limited budget for debt repayment, write down what you can pay each creditor each month.

2.Get Financial Healthy
It seems the better consumers get at paying off their credit card balances each month, the nastier the companies get.
Don’t be a revolver
The first rule of credit cards is avoiding the nefarious “balance.” Carrying a balance means paying far more than you should for everything your charge to your card. And it is one of the fastest ways to fall deep in debt.
Read Everything
Read every form for any potential credit card account with a magnifying glass.
Avoid Late Fees
One late payment and you are immediately socked with a late fee.
Fight Back
If your credit card issuer is squeezing you, complain. Competition among credit card companies is fierce. Use that leverage to get what you want. Often you can get a late fee waived or your interest rate lowered just by asking. Most companies will make adjustments at least once.
Shop around
There is a lot of fish in the sea. There is no reason to hold a card that has a high interest rate or a short grace period. Go “rate surfing.” Get the interest rate you want. Get a card with no annual fee. Compare the rates and terms of several cards.
Check Your Credit Report
An especially dirty trick played by the companies is not reporting a good customer’s on-time payment history to a credit bureau, lest competitors steal their customers. So if you are planning on getting a mortgage or other loan, it is a good idea to ask whether the company is reporting your good payment record to the credit-rating bureaus when you check your credit report. But check a few months before applying for a mortgage, which gives you time to correct any mistakes.
Stop spending
Ultimately, this rule will make the most difference in your financial life. Make it hard to use your card. Don’t leave home with it. Financially healthy people do not use credit cards for borrowing money and paying it back over long periods of time at high interest rates. They do not buy things they can’t afford. Many people mistakenly believe they’re on top of things as long as they make their minimum payments religiously and on time. But they’re not. Keep a card on hand for emergencies. The rest of the time, keep it frozen in the middle of a carton of milk.