VOXPOP 'What is there to control? Can we regulate language, learning and reading? Where then does all this stop?'

Confusion at Mosti's Computing Bill open day

your say Abasir: This scheme is way beyond what Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Maximus Ongkili can cook up.

The dalang appeared to be Pikom, which is made up of a bunch of businessmen (sellers of shrink-wrapped products, computer hardware and organisers of local IT fairs).

The IT industry does need to be given a kick on the rear through better and more current teaching programmes by better qualified and tech-savvy teachers than there are today in our third-rate universities.

But this scheme will not achieve that. It has the strong stench of another quick-rich scam (remember the 1Malaysia Email?) and the presence of the ‘Umnofied' Council of Professors only hints at the rent-seeking shenanigans that are afoot.

Maximus and Co, of course, are nowhere to be seen in the vicinity, because like I just said, he and his ilk just don't compute. Too complicated lah .

Anonymous: The Computing Professionals Bill (CPB) is another money-grabbing move like CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board), IWK (Indah Water Konsortium) and Alam Flora. All they do is ‘manage and maintain' and take levies, while everyone does the job.

Even after implementing CIDB, buildings continue to collapse and stadium roofs continue to fall, so what difference does it make?

It's the same with IWK and Alam Flora - developers construct sewerage, IWK merely checks it every two weeks. For Alam Flora, they only ‘manage' the rubbish distribution, while the real sub-contracted rubbish dumpers do the job.

Sarawakian_3ff9: This is just an Umno scam to enrich themselves and their cronies. Another project that will bring in huge commissions and obscene profits. The clowns are not even competent.

Unspin: If Steve Jobs or Bill Gates - both university dropouts - were required to enrol themselves as ‘registered computing professional': first, they would not qualify based on the criteria as set forth in CPB 2011, and second, it would stifle their creativity so much that there would not be an Apple or Microsoft today.

The beauty of the Internet is that anyone who has a good idea and software skills can compete with the best in the world due to the inherent level-playing field of cyberspace.

In fact, there is one very successful ‘garage' software developer in our country that has sold more than two million copies of his ‘iType2Go' app on Apple store.

Do you think he needs to register himself so that he can practise as a computing professional?

KJ John: Someone is really confused here. Computing is a language of speaking with machine logic systems using binary codes and logic systems to create function competencies.

What is there to control and regulate? Can we regulate language, learning and reading? Where then does all this stop? It is almost like regulating the Morse code!

Ferdtan: With 81 percent Internet penetration in the country (about 21 million Internet users), the next move will be to get them to register with the ministry at an affordable price of RM10 each.

The amount will be a cool RM210 million! Who says that our government is not good in making money?

Urkidding: There is a saying: If you cannot convince them, confuse them! If you are not happy, and everyone is unhappy, then use your vote to send them packing.

Paul Warren: Actually this bill should not bother the IT professional who is worth his salt. He should relocate to another country. Burma is opening up and that would be a good country to go to.

But Malaysian companies would still need your services. Deliver it from where ever you go. After all, they cannot stop companies buying IT products and IT services wherever it is rendered from.

KSD: Mosti would not have come up with this bill unless someone lobbied. And the culprit, I suspect, is Pikom (Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry, Malaysia).

Why? Because this bill could not have reached to this stage without Pikom's knowledge. Pikom should come out and state very clearly whether they are the prime promoters of this bill.

Clearwater: Follow the money trail. Who stands to gain most from the passage of this bill? Mosti? Pikom? Some other party that is hiding behind them?

Blind Freddo: They are so obsessed with control that they want to control a problem that doesn't exist, and which they don't understand anyway.

And how cowardly of Mosti (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) officials to absent themselves in the open-day function.

Once again, it's typical of Umno thinking... devise controls for every possible scenario, then fail to support or police them.

 

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now .