The Star Online: Nation
The Star Online: Nation |
- Proposed IT Bill may be dropped
- Verbal spat over proposed Computing Professionals Bill
- Quality bus services still a pipe dream
| Proposed IT Bill may be dropped Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:19 PM PST PUTRAJAYA: If information technology (IT) professionals feel they do not need protection, the proposed Computing Professionals Bill 2011 could "end here". Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof said there was nothing "solid" yet and the ministry was still gathering views. "That is why we had the open day. "It is the first step and if industry players suddenly feel they need no protection or something to represent them, the initiative could just end here," he said, adding that the Bill was aimed at uplifting the IT profession. "It was mooted after a series of discussions with industry players who said they wished to see a body that represents and protects them,'' said Fadillah. He likened it to bodies such as the Malaysian Medical Association and the Malaysian Institute of Architects. "The ministry is just facilitating the process to set up such a body for IT professionals," he told reporters after a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony with Saudi Arabia King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology here. Meanwhile, the MCA Young Professionals Bureau has warned that the proposed Bill could potentially force companies to relocate or shut down due to a lack of human capital. Bureau chairman Datuk Chua Tee Yong said the formation of the Board of Computing Professionals Malaysia would stifle innovation and creativity. "The Bill's enactment will be counter-productive and will significantly shrink the talent pool so greatly needed by the industry. "We cannot support it and therefore seek the withdrawal of the proposed legislation," he said after presenting the bureau's views and comments on the matter to the ministry here yesterday. Chua, who is also Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister, said the proposed Bill was against the objective of developing the industry under the 10th Malaysia Plan in which information and communications technology was one of the 12 National Key Economic Areas. Related Stories: |
| Verbal spat over proposed Computing Professionals Bill Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:19 PM PST PUTRAJAYA: The IT community did not mince words in expressing their opposition to the proposed Computing Professionals Bill 2011. Many IT professionals present at the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry's open day said they had not been consulted during the drafting of the Bill. "If you had consulted the larger community and included us in the drafting process from day one, this whole issue would not have blown up," said software developer Haris Fazila Jamil. Another professional, who could not be identified, said the Bill would only allow people registered with the proposed Board of Computing Professionals to play an active role in application development. "People would not even be able to write code for fun if the Bill was passed," he said. Others in the industry also felt that the Bill would do more harm than good in its current form. But the panel, made up of four representatives from Pikom, the Malaysian National Computer Confederation and academia defended the draft. They said the proposed Bill would not hinder wider participation in the IT industry, but encourage it. "Our intent is to allow (more people to practise IT)," said Prof Zaharin Yusoff of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. Datuk Dr Halimah Badioze Zaman, head of the ICT cluster at the National Council of Professors, said they welcome feedback from the IT community to help improve the Bill. The draft of the Bill was released on the Internet on Dec 8, but no one has admitted to posting the 56-page document online. It generated intense discussions on Twitter and Facebook. The IT community can submit their suggestions and concerns over the proposed Bill to the ministry. They can e-mail bcpm@mosti.gov.my during a 30-day period allocated for the purpose which started yesterday. Related Stories: |
| Quality bus services still a pipe dream Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:11 PM PST A CITY bus service that is not only efficient but profitable remains, to a large extent, a pipe dream. The litany of woes faced by operators of bus services in various cities and towns in the country is symptomatic of the fact that we do not take public transport, especially the bus service, as seriously as we should. That thousands of residents in Selangor waited for the bus that never came following the suspension of the Cityliner services run by Konsortium Transnasional Bhd (KTB) yesterday is testimony to how serious the problem has become. KTB's lament is that the current model of stage bus operations is simply not working out well. It is losing money big time and crying out for a lifeline. In the interest of the ordinary people who depend on the bus to get around, the matter must be sorted out as soon as possible. Whether it is due to a breakdown in communication, or hurt egos on any side, the interest of the rakyat must come first. But this is only a short-term solution. For the longer term, it is important that all bus operators sit down together and work out a strategic plan for the future. Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (Prasarana) has started an initiative for a strategic collaboration exercise with its competitors. Its group managing director Datuk Shahril Mokhtar also agrees that the "present public transport industry faces tough economic circumstances due to regulated fare structure and increasing operational costs". It's a good start but for it to really work, all the players must be involved. They should see an efficient bus service in terms of the social benefits. As Shahril puts it, "there must be enhanced punctuality, trip frequency and reliability ... to project a better image of the industry to the general public and effectively encourage high utilisation of public transportation". Those who have travelled to countries where the bus service is as efficient as any mass rapid transit system, will tell you how reliable and punctual the bus can be. In some countries, if the bus is to arrive at 12.13pm, it means 12.13pm, not a minute more or less. Dedicated bus lanes ensure that buses run on time. Here, we have piecemeal efforts, where even attempts to draw bus lanes, invariably lead us nowhere. When we look at the Klang Valley, we know that the LRT system will never be complete without an efficient bus network. The MRT players must seriously look into this as well. Be that as it may, the current bus service, whatever its weaknesses, remains an important artery of livelihood for city folk. Which is why you will see these buses jam-packed with commuters at certain hours, when ferrying commuters to and from work. At other hours, it is not unusual to see a bus driver having the whole bus to himself, simply because not many people take the bus to get from one point to another. It is important, therefore, to keep the buses running. The Land Transport Commission (SPAD) must do the right thing for now while the operators work out the long-term solution. Done right, the number of commuters will surely increase, and the money will flow in. Then the pipe dream of an efficient and profitable bus service will surely become reality. Related Stories: |
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