More Malaysian government ministries and agencies are now accessible online. They are also winning star ratings.
Government agency Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), and the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) carried a portal assessment program between November 2007 and March 2008.
One of the findings of the assessment program was that more government departments were using portals and websites to promote, provide and obtain feedback from the people on their programs and services.
A total of 1,133 portals and websites were assessed. It was also noted how there was an increase in the number of portals and websites from 1,055 in 2005 and 903 in 2005.
In addition, three websites and portals–Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Sarawak State and myGovernment portal–were awarded the MSC (Multimedia Supercorridor) Malaysia 5-star rating for scoring between 80 to 100 points in the assessment.
The importance of being online
MDeC chief executive officer Dato’ Badlisham Ghazali said, “This is the continuation to the Malaysia Government Portals and Websites Assessment 2007 which was undertaken to assist in transforming the government portals and websites towards having the same ‘look and feel’ and ultimately to provide better service delivery to the citizen.”
Badlisham said the increment has proven that the awareness of the importance of promoting online information and services to the public has increased among the government agencies.
The award presentation ceremony was held at the third Malaysia Government Portals and Websites Seminar for the various government agencies at Putrajaya Shangri-La.
The seminar was organized to discuss the knowledge and experience of good government portals and websites from those who obtained 5-star rating.
Using international criteria
Badlisham added that the Malaysian world e-governance ranking had improved significantly this year. Out of 198 countries, Malaysia has progressed in the Brown University (BU) report from the position of 157 (2005), 36 (2006), 25 (2007) to 11 (2008) with a score of 42.8.
“Currently 30 per cent of agencies are providing them (services) via myGovernment portal, multi language, website personalization, feedback mechanism, workable support links and navigation within tolerance,” said Badlisham, adding that these are among many other criteria evaluated by BU researchers in the annual Global E-Government Report.
He attributed this steady rise in ranking to the assessment program of all government portals and websites undertaken by MDeC, using criteria established by BU.
