The Malaysian Public SectorICT Strategic Plan

August 2003PRIME MINISTER’S DEPARTMENT

Aras 6, Blok B2, Kompleks Jabatan Perdana MenteriPusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan

62502 Putrajaya, Malaysia

The Malaysian PublicSector ICT Strategic Plan

The Government of Malaysia haslaunched the Public Sector Informationand Communications Technology (ICT)Strategic Plan to ensure that the variousICT initiatives undertaken by theGovernment agencies will be in line withthe Public Sector ICT vision; to provideefficient and quality service to itscustomers - the citizens and businesses.

In achieving this vision, the ICT StrategicPlan will be the blueprint that defines thevision, strategic direction and frameworkfor the usage of ICT in the Public Sector;the objectives and strategic thrust areasof ICT development for the Public Sector;as well as the implementation strategiesand action plans to be taken to realise theobjectives of the plan.

The Malaysian Public SectorICT Strategic Plani

MessageMessage

The revolutionary impactfrom ICT has resulted ingreater expectation ofcitizens and businesses onthe overall performance of governments. WitheGovernment it is nowalmost an accepted normfor citizens and businessesto expect easy andexpeditious access toGovernment informationand services anytime,

anywhere.

To meet these expectations, theGovernment of Malaysia hascontinuously improved its internalprocesses and service deliverymechanism. While these efforts haveenhanced the Government’s provision ofinformation and services, theGovernment believes in striving forwardto a more effective eGovernment. Thenext stage of eGovernment will focus onintegrated cross-agency services basedon a holistic master plan that isformulated after careful consideration ofthe total spectrum of the country’sstrategic thrusts.

Thus it is timely that the MalaysianAdministrative Modernisation andManagement Planning Unit (MAMPU)developed the ICT Strategic Plan for thePublic Sector. This plan provides theblueprint to achieve the Public Sector ICTvision providing citizens and businessesenhanced access to Governmentinformation and services.

Looking forward, I believe that thisBlueprint will serve as an excellent guideto enhance our electronic service deliveryand national competitiveness. In thisrespect I would like to thank all theGovernment Ministries, agencies anddepartments that have contributed to thiseffort in charting the future course for ourE-Government.

I would like to express my appreciation tothe members of the Government IT andInternet Committee (GITIC) for their effortand invaluable input to the developmentof this Blueprint. My special gratitude alsogoes to MAMPU for planning andspearheading this effort.

Tan Sri Samsudin OsmanChief Secretary To The Governmentof Malaysia

MessageMessage

Numerous ICT initiativeshave been planned andimplemented throughoutthe Malaysian Public Sector.The application of ICT hasaccelerated further in recentyears with variousinitiatives deployed toenhance productivity andimprove service delivery.

To ensure these initiativesare aligned to a commonvision, MAMPU initiated a

study to develop the Malaysian PublicSector ICT Strategic Plan. The plan will setthe ICT direction and framework, and willalso serve as a blueprint for future ICTdevelopment and implementation in theMalaysian Public Sector.

The development of the blueprintrequired a detailed understanding of theGovernment’s strategic thrusts as well asan analysis of the requirements within thePublic Sector. In addition, leadinginternational eGovernment practices werealso reviewed as part of the formulationof the recommendations.

A key message from the ICT StrategicPlan is that the Public Sector will need toprovide simplified procedures andprocesses, as well as end-to-end servicesthat involve cross-agency collaboration.This is to enhance the convenience tocitizens and businesses and to ensure thatthe Government portrays the image of“One Government”, instead of the view ofa myriad of agencies and departments.

The ICT Blueprint developed is alsointended to meet the current and futurerequirements of the Public Sector. Itcharts the Malaysian Public Sector’s pathtowards an electronic and join-upGovernment that is able to provideseamless information and services to thecitizens and businesses.

I would like to express my heartfeltappreciation to Y. Bhg. Tan Sri SamsudinOsman, Chief Secretary to theGovernment of Malaysia, for hiscontinuous guidance and directiontoward the successful completion of thisBlueprint.

Finally, my special thanks goes to theproject team from MAMPU andconsultants from PwC Consulting(currently known as IBM BusinessConsulting Services) that worked togetherto develop this Blueprint.

Datin Nazariah Mohd KhalidDirector GeneralMAMPU, Prime Minister’s Department

ContentsContents

Vision 1PlanningICT as a Key Enabler

Role of the Public Sector 2Leveraging on ICTThe Challenge

Journey Thus Far - ICT Application 3Multimedia Super Corridor and Electronic GovernmentGovernment ICT Initiatives

Journey Thus Far -The Enabling Environment 4ICT Policies and GuidelinesICT GovernanceICT Infrastructure

Enhancing Electronic Services Delivery 5ICT Framework

Strategic Responses 7

Implementation Framework 12

VisionVision

ICT as a Key EnablerThe 8MP also emphasises and placesgreat importance on ICT as a key enablerto improve Malaysia’s competitivenesswhile at the same time enhancing theknowledge content of key economicactivities of the industrial, agricultural andservices sectors. The prominence placedupon ICT within the 8MP is indeed in linewith other Malaysian Government’sinitiatives since the 1990s.

Key ideas and concepts had been carriedforward and enhanced at each stage fromthe National IT Agenda (NITA) to OPP3 to8MP.

It began with NITA’s goal to transformMalaysia into an information society, nowrefined into the idea of a knowledgesociety by OPP3 and 8MP.

Malaysia recognises that it is not enoughjust to deploy and use ICT as a tool, but itis also important for users to be able tomanage and turn information intoknowledge and use it creatively to createa Knowledge-based economy.

With Vision 2020, Malaysia espouses tobe a nation that is fully developed alongall dimensions. The Vision, however, isnot about making Malaysia a replica ofany of the current developed countries.Instead, it states that Malaysia should aimto develop in its own mould. To achievethis, there is a need for a mentalrevolution and cultural transformation.

PlanningThus far, Malaysia has adopted asystematic approach in her planning toattain her Vision. This is attested by thenumber of policy documents, whitepapers and working papers such as theOutline Perspective Plan 3 (OPP3), theEighth Malaysia Plan (8MP), and thevarious sectoral masterplans.

These documents articulate and set outthe ideas, concepts and action stepsnecessary to materialise Vision 2020.OPP3 puts forward the policies andstrategic thrusts to be pursued from 2001to 2010, whilst 8MP is to operationalisethe first phase of the strategic thrustsrecommended by OPP3.

1

Role of the Public SectorRole of the Public Sector

Join-up government is about transforming a Government from thinking and acting like a numberof largely independent Ministries to a Government that presents itself as a single entity that meetsthe unique needs of specific customer segments.

As outlined in Malaysia’s Vision statementand policy documents, the Public Sectorhas a key role to play in supporting theGovernment’s aspirations. In particular,the Public Sector has a pivotal role:

• To enable a conducive and vibranteconomic environment;

• To facilitate growth and competitivenessof the industry and the Private Sector;

• To support the country’s manpowerneeds; and

• To enhance the quality of life ofMalaysian citizens.

Leveraging on ICTICT is recognised as a key enabler for thePublic Sector to carry out its roleefficiently and effectively.

The Government thus needs to defineways to leverage on ICT to transform thePublic Sector’s internal operations andprovision of Government services to thepublic. This transformation involvesproviding the services and information

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via electronic means on an “anywhereand anytime” basis. It also requires thecreation of a conducive environment,effective back-office processes andseamless front-end integration across thePublic Sector to encourage citizens andbusinesses to adopt the new practices.

The ChallengeThe challenge for the Public Sector is toformulate the means to deliverGovernment services through the use ofICT and multimedia so as to:

• Provide efficient, expeditious, securedand quality services electronically;

• Leverage on ICT and multimedia toenhance productivity in the PublicSector;

• Facilitate the sharing of resourcesamong Government agencies; and

• Be citizen-centric in the delivery of itsservices.

Jorney Thus Far-ICT Application

Journey Thus Far-ICT Application3

Current ICT Environment in the Public Sector(Examples of Applications)

Customer Interaction Systems

Operational Systems

Supporting Systems

Operational Systems(Security Sub-sector)• National Population Information System (SIREN)• Agency Fingerprint Information System (AFIS)• Visa & Pass System • Government Multi Purpose Card (GMPC)

Operational Systems(Land & Agriculture Sub-sector)• Cmputerised Land Registration System (SPTB)• National Infrastructure for Land Information Systems (NALIS)• Cadastral Data Management Systems (CDMS)

Operational Systems(Finance & Tax Sub-sector)• Customs Information System (SMK)• eEksais• Integrated Assessment and Collection System for Salary Group (INTACTSG)• Self Assessment System- Companies (STS-C)

Supporting Systems

• E-Procurement

• Generic Office Environment

• Human Resource Management Information System

• Project Monitoirng System (SPP II)

• Electronic Budget Planning and Control System (eSPKB)

• Standard Accounting System for Government Agencies (SAGA)

Customer Interaction Systems• E-Services• E-Syariah• Electronic Labour Exchange (ELX)• Agency Link-up Systems (ALIS)• Malaysian Science and Technology Information Centre Link (MASTICLINK)• Government Websites• Portals

Operational Systems(Housing & Local GovernmentSub-sector)• Integrated Housing Developement Management Information System (Idaman)• Revenue Collection System• Property Valuation System

Security

National Unity & Social

Development

eGovernment Initiatives

Land and Agriculture

Infrastructure

Science and R & D

Trade and Industry

Finance &Tax

Administration

Housing, LocalGovernment and State

Education and Human Resource Development

PC Internet Wireless Devices Kiosks Mobile Phones Call Centres Physical

Customer Service

HRMIS ePerolehan

PMS Generic Office Environment

Common Applications

Office Automation

Knowledge Management

Exhibit 1

Over the past few years, the MalaysianGovernment has made significantprogress in the development andutilisation of ICT (Exhibit 1) with theobjective to turn Malaysia into a fullydeveloped nation as outlined in Vision2020.

Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) andElectronic Government (EG)The MSC - EG Flagship initiativecontinues to be the basis for enhancingefficiency and service delivery to thepublic while fostering partnershipbetween the Government, citizens andbusinesses.

Towards this end, the EG flagship applications, namely E-Services, E-Procurement, Human ResourceManagement Information System(HRMIS), Project Monitoring System (SPPII), Generic Office Environment (GOE),Electronic Labour Exchange (ELX) and E-Syariah have progressed to differentstages of their development,implementation and roll-out.

Government ICT InitiativesIn addition to the EG initiative, variouscomputerisation programmes have alsobeen undertaken at the agency level. These include IT infrastructuredevelopment and upgrade, core business applications as well as thecomputerisation of business operationfunctions.

There are also numerous initiatives ondeveloping customer facing systems toenhance access to Governmentinformation and services via the Internet,with a few being more interactive,allowing citizens and businesses toconduct transactions with theGovernment.

There are also numerous initiatives ondeveloping customer facing systems toenhance access to Governmentinformation and services via the Internet,with a few being more interactive,allowing citizens and businesses toconduct transactions with theGovernment.

eGovernment is not just about technology but is an ongoing process of transformation of theGovernment towards the provision of Government services efficiently and effectively throughelectronic means, including access to Government information and the conduct of Governmenttransactions on an “anywhere, anytime” basis.

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Exhibit 2

IT P

olic

ies

and

Gui

delin

es

IT G

over

nman

ceIn addition to the applicationshighlighted, a key success factor of ICTdevelopment is the creation of anenabling environment that includescomprehensive technical infrastructure,policies and guidelines, ICT governanceas well as skilled ICT personnel.

A sound enabling environment willprovide a reliable foundation for more ICTand multimedia related activities.

In recent years, the Government has putsignificant focus in this area ensuring thedevelopment of the infrastructure,policies and frameworks as well asappropriate ICT governance to supportongoing initiatives (Exhibit 2).

ICT Policies and GuidelinesThe Public Sector’s policies andguidelines for ICT management andimplementation have been developed toprovide a framework that entails astructured approach in planning,acquisition and operation of the ICTenvironment in the Public Sector.

ICT GovernanceA strong ICT governance structure isessential to the development andimplementation of the e-governmentinitiatives. Towards this end, severalcommittees have been established todrive and coordinate ICT development toensure the initiatives are aligned with thenational ICT direction.

ICT InfrastructureIn carrying out eGovernment initiatives, itis also essential to set up a commonnetworking infrastructure, which can actas a base for integration andinteroperability. The infrastructure allowsagencies to be connected in a dedicatednetwork to facilitate secured electronicdelivery of information and services forinter and intra agency communications.

Jorney Thus Far-The Enabling Environment

Journey Thus Far-The Enabling Environment

Enhancing ElectronicServices Delivery5

Enhancing ElectronicServices Delivery

Exhibit 3

Enhancing ElectronicServices Delivery

Understanding that eGovernment is acontinuous transformation that requiressignificant effort and time to implement,the Malaysian Government developed aframework that will be used to chart itspath (Exhibit 3).

ICT FrameworkThe framework was developed based onthe vision of where the Malaysian PublicSector intends to be in the future, anassessment of the Public Sector’s currentbusiness and ICT environment and alsoresearch and benchmarking oninternational best practices.

The components of this framework are:

Public Sector ICT Vision –The Malaysian Public Sector ICT Visionaims to:

• Provide efficient, expeditious, securedand quality services electronically;

• Leverage on ICT and multimedia toenhance productivity in the PublicSector;

• Facilitate the sharing of resourcesamong Government agencies; and

• Be citizen-centric in the delivery of itsservices.

Gateway – The component that enablesthe users (i.e. citizens, businesses andGovernment employees) to perform awide range of functions throughcommon, convenient and one-stop accesschannels to Government related servicesand information. These access channelscover various forms of access methodsavailable such as mobile devices,telephone, fax, counter services andInternet;

6Enhancing ElectronicServices Delivery

Community Applications – These willprovide end-to-end services to citizensand businesses and require manyagencies to interact and coordinate witheach other. Community Applicationsaddress the needs of groups that sharesimilar interest;

Agency Specific Applications – Theseapplications support the operations ofindividual agencies for efficiency andeffectiveness. Such applications alsointeract with the Community Applicationsin order to provide cross-agency services;

Enterprise Wide Applications – Thesecomprise a comprehensive suite ofapplications to address the needs ofagencies across the back office functionsof Government. A high degree ofintegration is required to minimise thelevel of interfacing;

Knowledge Bank – Supports the sharingof information and experiences withinGovernment agencies to increaseproductivity and improve efficiencythrough a set of knowledge managementsystems; and

Enabling Environment - Consists ofsupporting enablers that will impact ICTand E-Government initiatives. Theseenablers need to be in place so as toensure success of the above initiatives.

Strategic ResponsesStrategic Responses7

Exhibit 4

Strategic ResponsesStrategic Responses (cont.)8

Create a framework to outlineworkflow process from thecreation through to theapplication of knowledge

Identify and develop set ofknowledge databases, suchas:

Empower selected agencies tolead the definition &development of their shareddatabases

Economic Intelligence

Security Intelligence

R&D

National Statistics

In line with the framework developed, seven (7)strategic responses were identified (Exhibit 4);

Strategic Response 3:Facilitate Sharing ofKnowledge andExperiences by CapturingInformation AcrossGovernment

Strategic Response 1:Improve Service DeliveryThrough Increased PublicFacing and Cross-AgencyInitiatives

Implement the following:

Integrate existing back endsystems through the use ofintegration tools.

Integrated FinancialManagement System

Key Performance IndicatorSystem

Strategic Response 2:Increase Cohesivenesswithin the Back-OfficeFunctions ThroughIntegration of InternalProcesses

Develop a single Governmentgateway to serve as entrypoint to the Government

Implement main portals:

Implement the followingsupporting applications:

Identify and develop otherportals to support the mainportals

Citizen Centric Portal

Business Portal

Government-to-EmployeePortal

Land & Property System

Local Government System

eSocial Services

eLearning

Online Income Taxation

Strategic ResponsesStrategic Responses (cont.)9

Exhibit 5

Technology Architecture

Businesses / Citizens / Government Employees

Internet/ Intranet/ Extranet

Call centre, Counter, SMS

Web Browser Client Software

Communities

Access Channels

Front End Tools

Network

Firewall

Databases

Platform

Sys

tem

s In

tegr

atio

n

Common Systems(Gateway)

ApplicationServers

Firewall

Agency Database

Hardware, operating systems, protocol, programming languages, etc

Web/ ClientServer

SecurityManagement

Community Application EnterpriseWide

KnowledgeBankAgency Specific

ContentManagement

TransactionServices

EmailServices

PersonalisationServices

Shared Database

ContentManagement Tool

PersonalisedEngine

MailServer

Strategic ResponsesStrategic Responses (cont.)10

Strategic Response 7:Continuously DevelopPolicies to EncourageElectronic Transactions

Undertake regularinternational benchmarking of e-Government

Monitor and progressivelyenhance the regulatoryframework to deliverelectronic services

Set and communicate realistictargets and priority areas for individual initiatives andachievements (Exhibit 6)

Conduct reviews of individualinitiatives

Strategic Response 6:Develop ICT Skills inthe Public Sector andEncourage ane-Enabling Culture

Develop a comprehensive plan for the development of Human Resource tosupport Public SectorICT vision

Regularly monitor thedemand and supply of ICT staff and skills

Communicate the shared ICTvision

Establish programmes andincentives to encourage cross-agency collaboration

Strategic Response 5:Strengthen Current PublicSector ICT GovernanceFramework To FurtherImprove Coordination ofICT Programmes

Refer to GITIC all ICT projectsthat involve Governmentagencies

Enhance collaboration withother Governments on ICTinitiatives

Strategic Response 4:Enhance the Infrastructureto Support On-going andFuture ICT Initiatives

Build multi-tier technologyarchitecture to set outnecessary enablingcomponents (Exhibit 5)

Establish a single, highbandwidth Governmentbackbone, with the directionof moving towards broadband

Strategic ResponsesStrategic Responses (cont.)11

ICT Policy Targets to be Achieved by 2005

Government Services

PC, Internet and Infrastructure

Cross-AgencyCollaboration

Back Office Function

ICT Skills andAwareness

Performance Target

80% of all amenable Government services will be e-enabled. To measure this target, the Public Sector will need to:¥ Identify the types of services;¥ Determine which agencies deliver such services; and¥ Agree on the means of delivering these services.

Increase the usage of PCs for knowledge workers in Government to 100%.Enable 100% of knowledge workers to have access to the Internet.Develop and implement a national broadband infrastructure.

Implement at least 4 major cross-agency ICT initiatives.

Implement at least 1 major enterprise wide application.

Develop and implement action plan to increase ICT skills and resources within Government.

Introduce new performance targets for agencies to identify key cross-agency services.

Exhibit 6

ImplementationFrameworkImplementation Framework

The strategic initiatives will beimplemented within the next 3 to 5 years.

The successful completion of theimplementation will enable the PublicSector to achieve its objectives ofoperating in a fully integratedenvironment (Exhibit 7).

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Exhibit 7