Answer for Oral Question PL165

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Dr. Awang Haji Mahali bin Haji Momin

YANG BERHORMAT DR. AWANG HAJI MAHALI BIN HAJI MOMIN asked the MENTERI PENGANGKUTAN DAN INFOKOMUNIKASI to state how the Ministry assesses, in addition to measuring the usage rate of digital services, the user experience through digital audits or service satisfaction indicators, as well as ensuring that every system disruption has clear response procedures, backup systems and immediate communication to strengthen public confidence.

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Pengangkutan dan Infokomunikasi

For the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications, the digitalisation of Government services is not merely about providing more services online. Most importantly, it is about ensuring that these services are genuinely easy to use, reliable, secure and provide a good experience for the public.

Therefore, the effectiveness of a digital service is not assessed solely based on its number or rate of usage, but also takes into account the quality of the service, user experience and satisfaction, system reliability, as well as the ability to maintain the service in the event of a disruption. In this regard, there are three main areas receiving attention.

First, in terms of project governance and assessment. The implementation of Government digital transformation projects is coordinated through the National E-Government Centre (EGNC) under the governance of the CIO Forum.

New digital transformation projects will undergo the Digital Transformation Review Committee (DTRC) process after obtaining confirmation from the respective Ministry CIOs. This assessment is not conducted only at the initial stage, but is regarded as an ongoing process before implementation, during development and implementation, as well as after the service begins to be used.

Among the matters receiving attention are cybersecurity, system reliability, service delivery quality, user experience, as well as the system’s ability to withstand disruptions and be restored.

At the overall level, the CIO Forum plays a role in ensuring that digital project priorities are coordinated, including avoiding system duplication and ensuring that Government digital investments deliver appropriate value.

Second, in terms of user experience and satisfaction. This Ministry regards users’ voices as part of the performance measurement of digital services. In this regard, EGNC collaborates with the Management Services Department (MSD) through the Sistem Pemedulian Perkhidmatan Awam (Pemedulian), an online customer satisfaction survey platform. Through this mechanism, user feedback can be collected continuously to assess satisfaction levels and identify aspects of the services that need to be improved.

As a future measure, the same principle will continue to be strengthened through feedback mechanisms built directly into Government digital services or applications, so that users will not only be able to use the services, but also provide feedback on their experiences.

This is important because high usage does not necessarily mean that a service is already good. We also need to know whether the service is easy to use, fast, clear and genuinely meets users’ needs.

Third, in terms of continuity and response to system disruptions. The Ministry’s policy is that critical Government digital services must have appropriate response procedures, escalation mechanisms, as well as service continuity and system recovery measures.

This includes the provision of backup and recovery mechanisms, so that in the event of system failure, data loss or service disruption, recovery action can be carried out immediately and the impact on the public can be minimised.

At the same time, response procedures are not limited to technical aspects. Communication with users is also part of incident management. In the event of a disruption affecting a public service, accurate and timely information must be conveyed through appropriate channels, including providing updates on the status of the disruption and, where applicable, temporary alternatives that can be used by the public.

Overall, the Ministry adopts a more comprehensive approach in assessing the effectiveness of digital services, not only based on their level of usage, but also on the extent to which the services meet users’ needs and expectations, function properly, remain secure and are capable of dealing with any disruptions.

In this regard, users’ views and experiences will serve as an important source in assessing the effectiveness of a service, in addition to audit findings, performance monitoring and assessments of any issues or incidents that occur. These findings will subsequently be used to identify areas for improvement and continuously refine the services.