These charges would be for "data encryption" and "value-added services".
The admission came after the IT firm was bombarded with media inquiries and public questions as to its funding, project details and the firm's ability to implement the RM50 million plan.In an e-mail reply to a list of questions fromMalaysiakini, Tricubes' CEO Khairun Zainal Mokhtar affirmed that its “base service” of providing 1Malaysia emails would be “at no cost to users”
Users will initially be able to use their email accounts to receive government notices such as income tax assessment, driving license renewals and quit rent reminders as well as Employee Provident Fund (EPF) statements and notices of summons.
However, the only services stated to be at "no cost" was the email services as the receipt of the notices and bills listed above are not said to be free of charge.
Indeed, Khairun stated that the company will source for revenue from value-added services such as:
- Bill and notice presentment
- Job boards and online registration
- Advertising revenue
- Online marketplace
According to Khairun, the "bill and notice presentment" will result in "government savings on postal and printing costs".
Thus it can be surmised that Tricubes will charge for the delivery of the bills and notices from government agencies, though it is unclear who will be paying for it, the end users or the agencies in question. Either way it will be in effect payment from public funds.
The second item that is supposed to generate money for the MyEmail system are job boards and online registration with government agencies that currently uses e-forms.
Again no mention is made of who will pay for the service. As of now, government job boards and e-forms are free to use services already integrated into the agency websites that use them.
Nor did he state whether government agencies, once MyEmail is fully online, will accept only transactions from the official 'secure' email account.If so, then Tricubes will have over 17 million Malaysians above 18 as its captive consumer base, while all government agencies would be its captive clients.
While the government and Tricubes continue to claim that opening an account is voluntary, making it the only online communication channel for government business will indirectly force everyone to subscribe to the service and all government agencies to be clients.
Paying to encrypt?
The MyEmail account, explained Khairun, also has an authentication service which includes a MyKad-based authentication service layer to ensure that government notices reach the correct recipients and reduce incidences of compromised personal information.
This added security, Khairun contended, is needed because users will be receiving sensitive personal information contained in their income tax returns, EPF statements, notices of summons and driving license renewals as well as quit rent payments.
While no method was given as to how this extra security authentication layer will be implemented, Tricubes' background in card-reader authentication technology suggests a separate device to read biometrics or digital information from MyKads may be on the cards.
A similar case would be the card based authentication system for government procurement portal e-Perolehan, which requires contractors to purchase cards and card readers for authentication purposes.
With such added cost, will users ultimately be the ones to foot the bill?
Big Brother's prying eyes
Khairun gave the aussurance that MyEmail would be safe from the prying eyes of the government or other interested parties as Tribcues will provide the option to enhance the security of entire sessions with data encryption.
On this matter, Tricubes will be working closely with Microsoft to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the users.
The government's only role, said Tricube, is as a facilitator for certain information and processes such as data validation from agencies like the National Registration Department. The government will also constantly monitor the progress of the project.
No mention was made about the possibility of a company refusing a government order to provide access to user data.
The 1Malaysia Email project was announced yesterday by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
The beta test portal for the email system is already up and running, although it simply states that it is called MyEmail with no reference at all to the 1Malaysia concept - the PM's pet project.
Mere hours after the announcement, the project came under fire from the online public and opposition leaders who questioned the need for - and the actual intended beneficiaries of - such an expensive system for a service that is freely available elsewhere.
But Najib, Tricubes and Pemandu CEO Idris Jala have defended the project as being a purely private sector-driven endeavour with no public funding.
Previously, the 100-storey Menara Warisan was also disavowed by Najib mere hours after proudly announcing it, as public criticism of the RM5 billion project came flooding in.
Like the anti-Menara Warisan movement, a Facebook page was set up to protest the 1Malaysia Email project.
This added security, Khairun contended, is needed because users will be receiving sensitive personal information contained in their income tax returns, EPF statements, notices of summons and driving license renewals as well as quit rent payments.While no method was given as to how this extra security authentication layer will be implemented, Tricubes' background in card-reader authentication technology suggests a separate device to read biometrics or digital information from MyKads may be on the cards.
A similar case would be the card based authentication system for government procurement portal e-Perolehan, which requires contractors to purchase cards and card readers for authentication purposes.
With such added cost, will users ultimately be the ones to foot the bill?
Big Brother's prying eyes
Khairun gave the aussurance that MyEmail would be safe from the prying eyes of the government or other interested parties as Tribcues will provide the option to enhance the security of entire sessions with data encryption.
On this matter, Tricubes will be working closely with Microsoft to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the users.
The government's only role, said Tricube, is as a facilitator for certain information and processes such as data validation from agencies like the National Registration Department. The government will also constantly monitor the progress of the project.
No mention was made about the possibility of a company refusing a government order to provide access to user data.
The 1Malaysia Email project was announced yesterday by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
The beta test portal for the email system is already up and running, although it simply states that it is called MyEmail with no reference at all to the 1Malaysia concept - the PM's pet project.
Mere hours after the announcement, the project came under fire from the online public and opposition leaders who questioned the need for - and the actual intended beneficiaries of - such an expensive system for a service that is freely available elsewhere.
But Najib, Tricubes and Pemandu CEO Idris Jala have defended the project as being a purely private sector-driven endeavour with no public funding.
Previously, the 100-storey Menara Warisan was also disavowed by Najib mere hours after proudly announcing it, as public criticism of the RM5 billion project came flooding in.Like the anti-Menara Warisan movement, a Facebook page was set up to protest the 1Malaysia Email project.
About 36,000 people have signed up within two days
source from malaysia kini
well.. that's business for the government.. we have no say :P
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