THE Malaysian government is seriously studying various issues relating to the usage of Linux open systems in the public sector and in government schools, according to the parliamentary secretary to Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry Chia Kwang Chye.
“Issues and challenges in adoption of new technologies, including migration, training and change management, are being seriously looked at before implementation is carried out to realise the potential benefits,” Chia said in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He said after the launch of IBM Malaysia’s RM4mil Linux solutions centre that over 25 government agencies were already using the Linux platforms in its operations.

The government would shortly set up a competency and support centre before the implementation of the Linux platforms in the various ministries, Chia added.

At the same time, the government welcomes any private sector assistance to the ministry in its effort to study the Linux systems before its full adoption by the public sector.

Mampu, a unit in the Prime Minister’s office, has already made several preliminary recommendations to the government with regards to the open systems, especially in terms of its affordability by the masses and schools.

“There is a possibility that some 2,300 schools in the country will be using the open Linux systems if the government decides to go ahead with the open systems,” Chia said.

The government has set aside RM1bil funds to look into issues relating to the digital divide between the have and have-nots in the urban and rural areas, especially with regards to affordability to acquire information technology equipment and software.

IBM Malaysia Sdn Bhd managing director Voon Seng Chuan, meanwhile, said that IBM’s Linux solutions centre would be opened to over 50 of its business partners in the country to undertake testing works, to run, copy, distribute, study, change or even improve on their software.

He pointed out that an International Data Corp (IDC) report released early last year said that Malaysia was forecast to be the leading country in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) in compounded annual growth rate of Linux servers shipments from 1999 to 2004 of 81%.

Voon said this meant that Malaysia would be far ahead of countries like India (79%), South Korea (64%) and even China (58%).

He said that the adoption of Open Source technologies would increase the technical capabilities of nations to quickly equal that of other developed countries, especially in the creation and development of local home-grown contents, solutions and applications for the local, regional and global markets.

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