DAP create history by posting Computer Crimes Bill on the Internet

Before I leave the subject of IT, let me mention that I had repeatedly proposed that in keeping with the government’s declared intention that the nation should make the quantum leap into the information era, the government should be a model user of new information and communication technologies. As an example, I had suggested that the government should post all bills, starting with the first batch of cyberbills, on the Internet.

However, the government does not seem to have any intention to begin to use the new information and communication technologies, let alone be a model user, and the government may have a long list of reasons why it is not yet possible in Malaysia at present for the bills to be posted on the Internet.

In the Information Age, the proper mindset is not why it is not possible for certain things to be done in a new way, but why it could not be done! The Prime Minister has said that “Malaysia Boleh” should be a national motto, but the motto of the Cabinet Ministers seems to be “Mana Boleh?”!

In any event, there is no reason whatsoever why bills or government reports - whether running into tens or hundreds of pages - could not be posted on the Internet. In fact, as I had said, it is easier and faster to post bills or reports on the Internet than to print out the hard copies as the bills are already in electronic form.

I had invited the government to make history by posting bills on the Internet but the Ministry of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts has turned its back to the future.

As the government has declined to make history, the DAP will make history by posting the first bill in Malaysia on the Internet, as a national service as another step in bringing Malaysia into the Information Society and as an example and demonstration to the government as to how easy it is to do this.

The contents of the Computer Crimes Bill in now on the Internet through the National DAP homepage, which is accessible through

In fact, the government would have been able to post Bills on the Internet faster than the DAP as it has the diskettes of the bills which we don’t.

The most ideal site for the bills to be posted would be the Parliamentary homepage, which would also be the first step to make the Parliamentary homepage interactive and come alive!

I hope the government will now be ready to post the Digital Signature Bill on the Internet today itself, but if the Ministry of Energy, Telecommunications and Posts is still unwilling to embrace the new information and communications technologies and to develop the new IT mindset, the DAP is prepared to continue to perform a national service by having it posted on the Internet. The DAP will post the Digital Signature Bill on the Internet if the government does not do it in the next 24 hours.