Oon Yeoh | Apr 26, 11

Malaysiakini

There’s been a lot of negativity about the 1Malaysia Email project to be handled by Tricubes. Perhaps a big part of that has to do with the fact that there aren’t actually that many facts released by Tricubes or the government about this controversial project.

We’ve heard bits and pieces about it through news reports, and an interview on BFM89.9 has shed some light on the project. But many questions remain.

Here are 10 key question that, if answered properly by either Tricubes or the government, would probably go a long way towards stemming the tidal wave of criticism the project has attracted thus far.

1. Why is it called 1Malaysia Email?

Apparently, the registered and approved domain email address will be [email protected] So why isn’t it called MyEmail instead of 1Malaysia Email? Besides, doesn’t Tricubes know that roughly half the popular votes in the last election went to Pakatan Rakyat? That being the case, isn’t it a foolish strategy to brand an email service with name that is so incredibly politicised that it would alienate roughly half the electorate?

2. Will Tricubes guarantee the database will not be used for political purposes?

With a brand name that is as polarising as “1Malaysia Email”, many people will naturally question whether they will be spammed with political messages, especially during election campaign periods.

3. What does it mean to be a private sector initiative that the government supports?

Many people, including the prime minister, have stressed that the project is a private initiative that does not involve public funds. So, how exactly is the government supporting the project? According to Pemandu director Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek, in his BFM 89.9 interview, it would not be correct to say that Tricubes was awarded a contract. Then what exactly was it awarded? A blessing?

4. Why wasn’t the tender more publicised?

Fadhlullah explained that Tricubes was chosen (again what does it mean by “chosen” if it’s a completely private sector initiative) because of the five companies that bid for the project, Tricubes was the only one that was listed. If what the government wanted was for more listed companies to bid for the project, why wasn’t the tender more highly publicised to attract more listed companies. Better still, why not just make a requirement that only listed companies should apply?

5. Can other companies really set up competing services?

During the BFM 89.9 interview Fadhlullah was asked if other companies wanted to undertake a similar private initiative, would they be allowed to do so, and he replied in the affirmative. Does that mean the government would similarly support rival services? If so, what’s the point of having a tender in the first place?

6. Is a portal involved?

The project has widely been referred to as a free email project. But there has also been mention of a portal involved. What exactly will that portal offer? What features? What functionalities? What type of content?

7. What are the fee-based value added services?

It’s been revealed that while the email account is free, there will be premium value added services that people can pay for. What exactly are these? Do you have to pay, for example, to be notified if you’ve received a “saman ekor”? Or will the police be the one that pays for sending you the notice? Or will both parties have to pay?

8. What is Tricubes’ privacy policy regarding use of its database?

Presumably there will be more than one revenue stream (other than the vaguely articulated fee-based value added services). Will there be advertising? And if so, will it be based on keywords contained in your message or will it be based on your authenticated profile? Will the database be sold to the highest bidder? Or will it only be available to government agencies?

9. Will it ensure prompt responses?

It’s been reported that one of the reasons for having this authenticated e-mail service is to ensure “direct and secure” communication between citizens and the government. Can Tricubes also ensure that the reply from the government is also prompt? If not, what’s the point?

10. Can we choose vanity names?

How will the e-mail names be assigned once we opt to register for our free 1Malaysia email? Will it automatically pull our names from the National Registration Department? Or can I, for example, choose to have a customised email address like [email protected]?

OON YEOH is managing editor at AsiaReach Media. You can follow him at www.twitter.com/oonyeoh