Dear Prime Minister

Dear Prime Minister:

I had just read that you need some ideas on how to improve services at government departments.
Here are some ideas on how we could improve more on service delivery:

Delivering as much services online as possible across all departments. E.g. All forms that customer may need could be downloaded from the department websites, in pdf files.
Government department websites must be simple and interactive, with as much explanation as possible. Forms could be submitted by mail or online. If there is any need to meet face to face – appointments schedule could be made online and by telephone.
Proper guidelines as to requirements and rules to getting approvals, licenses should be available online and on pamphlets at department offices.
Set target for service delivery. E.g. passport application – if complied with all rules and all information supplied – within 1 business day. Not meeting target may mean that the department is undermanned or underperforming.
Empower those customer service officers at the front counters. Sometimes and most of the times the delays is caused by these officers having to refer to their superiors – checking on someone’s work is fair enough, but sometimes its bordering on time wasting.
Reduce paperwork – use IT to our advantage. Forms for approvals should be able to be forwarded by email.
Open one stop service centres in smaller towns – ie one office that have kiosks of most major government departments – JHDN, Immigration, National Registration Dept etc.
As much as possible, make government services user pay.
Over in this side where I live, I could set up company totally online without having to go to any Registrar of Companies office, search and download forms from any government department and even pay my taxes online.
Last time I was back home in Malaysia, my parents told me that I had to renew my identity card. They told me that I had to go to National Registration office somewhere in Sepang. That was so far away from where I was, very inconvenient. Then I read in the paper that queueing alone takes a few hours, even half of the day. In the end I didnt renew my IC.

Noor Yahaya Hamzah
Email: nooryahaya@gmail.com
http://nooryahaya.blogspot.com