By Shannon Teoh
April 21, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 — The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) changed details of the 1 Malaysia email project on its website between the day it was announced and yesterday, and now calls it a private sector initiative when it was previously listed as a government initiative.
“The 1Malaysia Email project is a government initiative in providing a unique and official email account and ID for the citizens of Malaysia,” the description read on Tuesday.
Since yesterday, the description of the RM50 million project read: “The 1Malaysia Email project which features the domain name of ‘myemail.my’ is a private sector initiative led by Tricubes Berhad to provide a unique and official email account and user ID for interested citizens of Malaysia.”
This came after public outcry over the project that many said was a waste of public funds forced both Pemandu and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to clarify on Tuesday that the government would not fund the platform for secure communication with the public.
As of 8am today, close to 36,000 Facebook users have joined a virtual protest against the project and both #1malaysiaemail and Tricubes are still among the top 10 Malaysian topics on microblogging site Twitter, nearly two days after the emails were first announced.
The unit, under Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala, insisted yesterday that the project is a private sector initiative despite a report by The Malaysian Insider that the government had invited bids last November for a RM50 million government services Internet solution.
Tricubes, which is currently in danger of being delisted from Bursa Malaysia for financial irregularities, said yesterday that the “government is neither funding nor underwriting this project” and it would be financing the RM50 million required over 10 years by reinvesting revenue from the project.
The little-known ACE-listed company triggered Bursa Malaysia Securities’ Guidance Note 3 (GN3), paragraph 2.1(f) last year when auditors “expressed a modified opinion with emphasis on Tricubes’ going concern in the latest audited financial statements for the financial year ended March 31, 2010”, according to a filing made by Tricubes on October 29, 2010.
The same filing stated: “If the Company fails to comply with any part of its obligations indicated above, Bursa Securities shall: suspend the trading of the Company’s listed securities on the next market day after five market days from the date of notification of suspension by Bursa Securities; and delist the Company subject to the Company’s right to appeal against the delisting under Rule 8.04(6) of the ACE LR.”
As a GN3 company, Tricubes has to submit and implement a regularisation plan; appoint a sponsor until it is no longer deemed a GN3 company; retain the services of a sponsor for three full financial years after the company is no longer considered a GN3 company; and announce the status of its regularisation plan monthly.
Tricubes’ latest filing to Bursa Malaysia on April 1 indicates that it is still in the process of regularising its finances.
Chief executive officer Khairun Zainal Mokhtar said yesterday that Tricubes had dropped into GN3 status due to heavy investment in research and development that had “a long gestation period” but did not provide any detail as to the nature of the company’s research work.
In the current version of the page on the 1 Malaysia emails, Pemandu seems to have reduced the scope of the project, removing references to “social networking” and “web development toolkits.”
It now says that Malaysians will use an “email ID” instead of a “web portal” to access the services provided.
“The user ID will eventually be used for any government e-services e.g. e-hasil, EPF statements, driving licence renewals, quit rent payment, etc,” the page now reads.
Previously, it said that “the web portal will serve as a one-stop centre for government services, providing value added services such as social networking, online bill checking and payment as well web development toolkits for citizens and businesses organisations to creatively develop applications.”
The page also emphasises now the non-compulsory nature of the email ID by saying the service is “for interested citizens of Malaysia.”
Najib had announced the project on Wednesday, saying all Malaysians aged 18 and over would be given an account to allow for direct and secure communications between citizens and the government.
Tricubes launched its myemail.my website yesterday, stating that a limited registration will begin at the end of the month.
#1 by dagen on Thursday, 21 April 2011 - 11:18 am
Huh? Aiyah. Why not be more precise? Just name the domain Jibbymail.com ma.
#2 by Bunch of Suckers on Thursday, 21 April 2011 - 11:29 am
Rakyat says to BN/UMNO suckers, “you lies all times…” You want to fill in your pockets by initiating various unnecessary projects! You lies… great liars and suckers!
#3 by Jong on Thursday, 21 April 2011 - 11:35 am
A RM50 million ‘nothing new’ private project?
If it was to be why was it made to look a govt initiative with the Prime Minister proudly went on national tv/media to announce it?
And only after instant public response of anger recentment did they quickly back off to deny there’d be any involvement of public funds?
Sneaky, and they expect the Rakyat to buy it? What a bunch of putz!
#4 by Godfather on Thursday, 21 April 2011 - 11:43 am
They keep covering up their lies, and their noses get longer and longer. At first they said it is a PFI project, which means it is initiated by the private sector but subsidised, either via grants or via cheap loans, by the government as there is the element of social benefits. Now they say it is a fully private initiative that doesn’t require government funding.
Of course it doesn’t require government funding, but it probably requires EPF and Inland Revenue to make periodic payments for the use of the portal.
According to Malaysia Today, the idea for a national email service was stolen from a contributor in January of this year. That contributor estimated start up costs to be at RM 20 million only. So we see another case of “highest cost wins” in Bolehland.
#5 by Cinapek on Thursday, 21 April 2011 - 11:57 am
They can try to deny until they are blue in the face but they will not convince me otherwise because the original intention is their true intention and any subsequent denials and amendments are just just trying to placate an angry public who caught them with their pants down.
This is a dangerous monster like many of the other Govt. initiatives that has created racial and religious divisiveness . The history syllabus is an example. It was not stopped in time and it evolved into a destructive policy. The Malaysian public must make sure this scam is stillborn and not allow it to survive now that the Govt has given life to it. If it is allowed to grow, it will further destroy what little privacy we have left.
#6 by victimised on Thursday, 21 April 2011 - 12:59 pm
I am not a member of any political parties, but a layman. In fact, I do not participate in writing but these events had prompted me to come out – even more, Tun mamak.
I am a victim of the regime. An evil regime started 15-20 years ago by Tun mamak.
They spy on my pc and that I also don’t believe it till end 2009 that I can confirmed what’s all about my mind being “spy” on.
They spirited an evil and do channelling day in and day out for 15-20 years. How I know is that I am student of the highest school of buddist philosophy. I study the “mind”.
I shall write more when times come, [deleted]Yes, I put it that clear.
#7 by yhsiew on Thursday, 21 April 2011 - 1:15 pm
///and now calls it a private sector initiative when it was previously listed as a government initiative.///
The change is too artificial to make people believe. Just admit it – the RM50 million contract is a government bailout!
#8 by cemerlang on Thursday, 21 April 2011 - 2:03 pm
Personal blog of Datuk Najib. Also not enough ? Until when will it be enough ? If personal blog also don’t want to read, read what then ? Don’t want to read but ask somebody else to read and only to tell him good things. Bad things, don’t entertain. No wonder Malaysia is still backward. Nothing is better. It is worse.
#9 by k1980 on Thursday, 21 April 2011 - 2:47 pm
Not free after all—- get ready to empty your pockets
Pengguna boleh menggunakan akaun emel mereka untuk menerima notis dari kerajaan seperti taksiran cukai pendapatan, pembaharuan lesen memandu dan peringatan bayaran cukai tanah serta penyata KWSP dan notis saman.
Bagaimanapun, satu-satunya perkhidmatan yang dinyatakan “tiada kos” ialah perkhidmatan emel, manakala notis dan bil-bil yang disenaraikan di atas, tidak boleh dikatakan percuma.
http://malaysiakini.com/news/162081
#10 by Bigjoe on Thursday, 21 April 2011 - 9:15 pm
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pemandu-government-agencies-to-pay-for-1-malaysia-email-database/
What did I say about it being paid from operating expense and not from development expense AND linked to your IC?
Freaking crazy to have my IC linked to my email account with sensitive information. Why don’t just ask for my bank PIN number too??
#11 by Cinapek on Friday, 22 April 2011 - 12:24 am
[“The user ID will eventually be used for any government e-services e.g. e-hasil, EPF statements, driving licence renewals, quit rent payment, etc,” the page now reads.]
[The page also emphasises now the non-compulsory nature of the email ID by saying the service is “for interested citizens of Malaysia.”]
These two statements are self contradictory. The first statement makes it very clear that you need the ID for any Govt e-services while the second claims it is non compulsory. How can it be non compulsory when the Govt. e services needs this ID? The more they try to wiggle their way out the more they contradict themselves.
As the old saying goes, first you tell one lie. Then you need to tell two lies to cover that first lie. After that you need to tell four lies to cover that two lies.
#12 by 50 Juta on Friday, 22 April 2011 - 5:49 am
I know a lot of people interested to see how the 50M email looks like.
You can go and see it here and register for an account on the link below.
It is using the exact same platform and will be exactly the same as the 50M email.
http://50m.vv.cc