(Sarawak Tribune; September 24, 2005)

KUCHING: Government agencies have shown improvement in providing websites that contain quick and easy to access vital information. State Secretary Datuk Amar Haji Abdul Aziz Husain is optimistic that the goal of having all State Government agencies providing websites would be achieved this year.

"The Government wishes to be the best model in the application of information and communications technology (ICT) in the State as a preparation for a whole Electronic Government" he said. He said this during the Sarawak Public Service Website Awards presentation dinner on Thursday night, which is held this year in conjunction with ICT Week.

"We have seen vast improvements in the online services that are provided since the creation of these awards five years ago. We have seen an increase in the level and quality in the government sector from year to year in the development of online information, which is now interactive through the
websites," he said.

Aziz stressed on the importance of not only having inter agency information in each individual websites but also to provide information relevant to the development of the State and the nation as a whole."The information should not just be about the depart-ment, but also deals with information sharing. It should not be things that can be construed as negative," he said.

He said mastering ICT was ever more important, especially in the public service sector. "Now we can obtain all sorts of information in an instant. We truly live in a world that is without borders. We, in the civil service, must not forget that we have to advance just as quickly, else we cast ourselves as irrelevant in this new society," he added.

The Best Public Service Website Sarawak 2005 competition was organised by the ICT Unit, in the Chief Minister Department, and is held in conjunction with Sarawak ICT Week and ICT Malaysia Week 2005.

Mukah Resident Department won the Ministry and State Department in-house category, The Kapit Division Resident's Office won the outsource category. The local authority's in-house category was won by Padawan Municipal Council (MPP). The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) took the local authorities out-souce category.

SESCo Bhd. bagged the government linked company in-house category, while the outsource category was won by Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB). The Webmaster award went to Kristofferson Anthony from the Mukah Resident's Office.