A Growing Blogger

After notwoxer gained some measure of credibility with the Ribena Reports, the calls for me to launch a serious blog returned. I suppose this is part of my growing up as a blogger. There is so much youth and kid in me that notwoxer became a lot like many large Malaysian corporations: directionless. TMG will be an issue-driven blog; issues that touch you and Malaysians and the world. notwoxer will be a personal blog, which may be de-listed subject to further deliberation. Thank you for visiting, and please comment. Good luck Malaysia.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

The Economist's e-Readiness Survey 2007

MALAYSIA UPS POSITION YoY, TO 36 OUT OF 64

Renowned global economy mag The Economist's Business Information arm runs an annual survey of e-readiness of some 60 countries. The survey began in 2000. Quote:

A country’s “e-readiness” is a measure of its e-business environment, a collection of factors that indicate how amenable a market is to Internet-based opportunities. Increasingly, it is also about how individuals and businesses consume digital goods and services.

It a media release dated April 26th 2007, it revealed the table for 2007. Malaysia finished in 36th position, up a notch from 2006's finish. BERNAMA, in a May 9th article, spins exactly that: Malaysia Moves Up A Notch in e-Readiness Ranking.

But I'd like to raise a question as to why we are at a lowly 36 of 69 countries surveyed? It is a valid question what with the so-called National Broadband Plan launched in 2003, and the push for 3G, HSDPA, WAP, WiMAX etc etc etc.

Take a closer look at the chart:
(first number is 2007 rank, followed by 2006's)
(e-readiness scores, out of 10, in same order)

Economist Intelligence Unit e-readiness rankings, 2007 (out of 69 countries)

1 1 Denmark 8.88 9.00
2 2 USA 8.85 8.88
2 4 Sweden 8.85 8.74
4 10 Hong Kong 8.72 8.36
5 3 Switzerland 8.61 8.81
6 13 Singapore 8.60 8.24
7 5 UK 8.59 8.64
8 6 Netherlands 8.50 8.60
9 8 Australia 8.46 8.50
10 7 Finland 8.43 8.55

16 18 South Korea 8.08 7.90
17 23 Taiwan 8.05 7.51
18 21 Japan 8.01 7.77

24 n.a. Malta** 7.56 n.a.

28 27 Estonia 6.84 6.71
29 28 Slovenia 6.66 6.43

36 37 Malaysia 5.97 5.60
37 39 Latvia 5.88 5.30

49 47 Thailand 4.91 4.63

54 56 Philippines 4.66 4.41
56 57 China 4.43 4.02

67 62 Indonesia 3.39 3.39
68 68 Azerbaijan 3.26 2.92
69 65 Iran 3.08 3.15

2nd, 46th & 54th ranks tied
** New to the annual rankings in 2007.
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit.


At rank 16, South Korea is the highest of any Asian nation excluding Hong Kong and Singapore at 4 and 6 respectively. Hong Kong was 10 last year, while our southern neighbours moved into the top 10 from 13 in 2006.

Above us is Malta, which is included for the first time and Estonia. Among south-eastern Asia, Malaysia expectedly out-ranked Thailand (49), the Phillipines (54) and Indonesia (67).

While Malaysia scored perceptibly better vis-a-vis 2006, the improvement in rank was quite disappointing. There were revised methodology in the latest survey. Excerpts:

* a sharpened focus on the policy environment and e-government, as well as education and innovation

Contrast Malaysia's fortunes against its nearest and not-so-near Asian neighbours. Hong Kong gained 6 steps, Singapore removed 3 steps. Here's why:
Hong Kong (4th), Singapore (6th), South Korea (16th), Taiwan (17th) and Japan (18th) have experienced a boost in 2007 in both scores and ranks. This is due in no small part to their governments' vision and commitment in pushing digital development, and to continued progress in adoption of broadband and other advanced infrastructure

If you ask this blogger, those reasons sound exactly like what Malaysia is advocating. Don't we have a government that is pro-IT? Isn't Lim Keng Yaik's ministry all gung-ho about making broadband available in every nook and corner of Malaysia?

So I'm somewhat perplexed. Granted, making it to the top 10 of this list is not the goal, but when this blogger's dad keeps complaining of his Streamyx's downtime, and the difficulty in getting a line connected months after applying, you do wonder what went wrong. I'm no techie, but I do like to have fast and efficient yet affordable connectivity.

There are 6 categories, which has some 100 qualitative and quantitative criterias, that the study is concerned with:

1. Connectivity and technology infrastructure (20%), which includes the number of broadband connections, mobile phones, Internet users, personal computers, wireless hotspots and secure Internet servers available in relation to the total population. Affordability is also a factor.

2. Business environment (15%). Malaysia should have done well here as it rates issues such as the strength of the economy, political stability, tax issues, competition policy, the labor market, and the country's policy in embracing trade and investment.

3. Social and cultural environment (15%). In this criteria, education level, internet literacy, degree of entrepreneurship, technical ability of the workforce; and the degree of innovation among the population.

4. Legal environment (10%) and rates effectiveness of the traditional legal framework; laws that govern the internet, level of censorship and the ease of registering a new business.

5. Government policy and vision (15%. This scrutinises a government's spending on technology vis-a-vis the GDP, strategies in digital development and e-government and online procurement.

6. Consumer and business adoption (25%). This covers consumer spending on technology per person, the level of e-business development and online commerce, and the availability of online public services for citizens and businesses.

I'm not sure of how Malaysia fared in these criterias, but if you read them and you juxtapose that against what we hear from the responsible Ministry, we should be right up there. Not 36.

Jeff Ooi I'm sure will have choice words. Click here for context.

I am sure you will have plenty to say about internet access in Malaysia. Go on. Be a TMG.

The Phillipines are also grousing. Read a scribe's rant here.

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