Malaysia Mulls Compulsory Registration of Tech Workers

Viceice writes "Hot on the heels of recently passed legislation further restricting Freedom of Assembly, the National Front-led Malaysian Government is now working to make the registration of all tech workers mandatory, making it an offence punishable by a stiff fine and jail for anyone to plan, deploy, service and maintain any computing system without a license. A leaked draft of the legislation has ignited a backlash among the IT community, which fear the law, when passed, will be devastating to the tech industry in Malaysia."

Comments

Papers

[Anonymous Coward]

I see you have your papers, but do you have your papers for your papers?

Ahh you do not. You shall be escorted away to be dealt with accordingly.

All for the sake of censorship.

[unity100]

Malaysia had had passed on to an islamist party government. and they have been trying to increasingly implement sharia-compliant measures. internet irritates them to no end with its freedom and possibility of pursuing anything 'non islamic'.

this is simply another measure - if you make all i.t. workers registered, noone can set up stuff that may prevent/circumvent censorship or anything and still remain in business. this includes proxies, servers, networks - anything. basically its just a control scheme.

Re:All for the sake of censorship.

[Anonymous Coward]

Not just censorship. Mandatory legal licensing is a proven method of protectionism that restricts labor movement between states, grants special privilege to a select few, and offers more justification for bureaucracy. It is just one more tool of the labor monopolists.

It is fortunate that IT is too new a field to have yet become infused with these sorts of restraints. It provides a nice means to compare the vast assortment of innovation and falling prices to other more locked down labor sectors, like medicine and law.

Re:All for the sake of censorship.

[Mashiki]

You know, every time I tell people this on /. I'm the on that gets called a bigot and a racist. Glad to see that people are finally waking up to the reality of what Malaysia is like. Maybe they'll wake up that Egypt is now full steaming ahead to the same fate.

Re:All for the sake of censorship.

[Anonymous Coward]

Organized religion of any kind is complete bullshit. There is/are no god(s); will you fucktarded overgrown childres fucking grow up already and get over it? All these people do in the end is make everyone else completely miserable with their superstitious nonsense.

Re:All for the sake of censorship.

[Viceice]

To be fair, the Malaysian government is like that (Bigoted and racist). The general population are generally nice people.

The government is working overtime shoring up power and restricting freedoms because they lost their 2/3 majority in parliament for the first time in 50 years last election and they are close to being tossed out next election (which is soon).

Re:All for the sake of censorship.

[Mashiki]

To be fair, and having been to Malaysia in the last 8mo. You're better off skipping most of the country. While there are some parts and people that are nice, the fanatical islamists are on the march as much as the brown shirts were on the march in 1932.

Re:All for the sake of censorship.

[couchslug]

Islam is not a "race", it's SUPERSTITION, as ridiculous as all the others.

The idea that anything not supported by science and logic is to be respected is absurd.

Re:All for the sake of censorship.

[sxpert]

Wake up!

ALL religions are crap. Take for example the so-called Born Again Christians you have in the US.

Religions should be considered for what they are, CULTS and should be forbidden to take any part of the political life

Licensing

[girlintraining]

By itself, licensing isn't a big issue. Many trades require licensing. However, if it's meant as a knee-jerk reaction to people who might pose a threat to a totalitarian government, perhaps it is not such a wonderful idea....

Re:Licensing

[the eric conspiracy]

Many trades require licensing IF the person involved is going to offer their services to the general public.

Licensing provisions do not apply anywhere as often if the person is going to practice the trade as an employee.

Re:Licensing

[Jane Q. Public]

The fact that "Many trades require licensing" is very, very far from making it "not a big issue".

I mean, even aside from the fact that in this case it appears it is being done for political reasons. State licensing has gone a long way toward ruining some professions, at least from the point of view of the public at large. Look at lawyers, just for one example.

Here's what happens as soon as a profession gets "licensed" or "certified". (I saw this happen gradually in the field of networking, after they started offering network certifications, like Novell CNE, and MCSE:

Some self-proclaimed licensing or certification body (if it's not the state) comes up with a certification exam. (Or, in more egregious cases, several to many exams that must be passed.) Not long after, tech and publishing companies begin to publish "Study courses" on how to pass the exam. When I was studying for my MCSE, I had several complete sets of books, some of which retailed for as much as $400 per set.

Soon -- very soon -- lots of big companies have a huge investment in this certification. And they lose lots of money every time the exams change. Also, the certification bodies rarely keep up with new technology. And worse... certification becomes the only indicator of who is "a professional" in that field. And so everybody who has already passed it has a stake in making sure that certification is difficult to get. Further, those who have passed certification feel they have earned their wings, and consider themselves tenured professionals. They don't feel they need to constantly study and keep up with everything new anymore.

As a result of all this, innovation in the field begins to slow. People who have licenses usually get paid well. But as time passes -- at least in tech fields -- they become less and less relevant. Sooner or later, they find that industry has passed them by and they have become dinosaurs. So they get a job flipping burgers or something to pay to go back to school (which no longer works, by the way: school is far too expensive).

So, no. I am sure there are exceptions, but in general, at least in tech fields, licensing or certification tolls the slow but sure death knell of your profession. To be replaced by something similar but not quite the same, 10 or 20 years later.

(Anybody remember CNE or MCSE? I never finished my MCSE, by the way: I saw the writing on the wall and went for a software career instead.)

Re:Licensing

[quenda]

Licensing is not enough. If IT techs are going to make anywhere near as much money as plumbers and electricians, we need laws prohibiting anyone from repairing or installing their own computer.

    In this stupid nanny-state of Australia, I cannot even (legally) replace a faulty GPO (power outlet) or leaking tap in my own home without paying $100 callout plus $90/hr (bloody mining boom), so why should that tradie be allowed to run Windows Update without paying an IT nerd to do it?

Re:Licensing

[AK Marc]

I agree that now I look down on MCSEs. People with them are generally dumber than people without, as Microsoft dumbs everything down. Even they realize it, as the last time I looked at updating my MCSE, they don't do the networking essentials themselves anymore, but accept CCNA and such from others. The irony is that I Have MCSE, but then, I also have CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCSP, A+, Network+, Server+, and a pile of vendor specific ones that are less common, like CCSA, CCSE, BCNE, BCNP, BCLP, CICA, CICE, BCCPA, BCCPP, FCNSA, FCNSP, APS, and some others. I don't collect them for the fun of it, but it happens because I do lots of work on lots of things and people contracting someone to do work for them like references, and it's like a mini-reference. Quick, easy, independent, and demonstrates at least basic knowledge of the product.

But MCSEs are generally stupid. MS doesn't push subnetting as a required skill like most others, so you'll end up with the MCSE running the DHCP/DNS for a company without a clue how to set the ranges for DHCP or what a zone is for DNS, to the amusement of all.

Re:Licensing

[roman_mir]

Gov't is the main snake oil dealer today and I don't trust a word of anything it says ever to anybody, so shutting down FDA is excellent idea from my perspective. You are saying you don't trust a private company to rate foods or drugs for a premium. Well I wonder why you think you can trust an unelected official, who not only doesn't care about your vote but also doesn't care about your ability to pay premium for the food you buy, because it's all taxes/debt/printing?

Impact on open source development

[Skapare]

This could also affect everyone that develops open source on any project.

Degree debt

[DigiShaman]

This will happen in the US. Count on it. It will serve two purposes.

1. National Security or some such crap.

2. Students have too much debt because of the degree bubble. Thus, they should be fast-tracked into employment to pay it off. Your 20+ years of experience with no degree? Back of the line with you and a mound of debt in tuition to boot.

Malaysia also has institutionalized racism

[circletimessquare]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutional_racism#Malaysian_institutional_racism

its the reason Singapore exists (a Chinese dominated enclave that was not exactly going to submit to the concept)

Indians and Americans rejoice...

[MikeRT]

Thanks Malaysia. You've just made for better job security in India and the US. We Americans won't have to compete directly against you because only a minority of your people will be able to afford to comply with this (thus making them a highly paid minority) and Indians will have fewer competitors, making it easier for their wages to increase (which again, makes it easier for Americans to compete).

If I didn't know better, I'd wonder how much a US Trade Representative paid someone to make this happen!

A typical Malaysian problem

[Teun]

Having worked in this wonderful country I dare say this is a typical Malaysian problem.

The country has a diverse population with a Muslim majority and economical strong Indian and especially Chinese minorities. The last two make this a quite well off country.
Historically this mix has been tightly controlled by an undemocratic government, this government knows the economy would seriously suffer when they would let slip the present (enforced) balance of power between these groups.

It's no surprise the present government tries to continue this control and protect the relative strong economy by among others regulating new means of communication like computers and especially the internet.

stifle innovation? really? ya think?

[wierd_w]

I mean, really. What do these people think it will do, besides *restrict* technological innovation? That is defact the point with this kind of legislation.

In the case of licensing doctors, it is to *restrict* people with dodgy credentials performing surgeries, or proscribing medications. Ideally, this is to protect patients, as it helps regulate a standard QoS in that industry. Same with legal professionals. Likewise, that restriction reduces the number of people performing those services. This has two immediate effects: 1) it reduces supply for that service, increasing costs. 2)it reduces the number of people doing that work, naturally reducing the number of minds that would bring innovative ideas to those service industries.

The whole reason why the internet exploded with applications (both computational, and user service oriented) and service providers was *because* of that lack of regulation. The emergence of top players comes about as genuine success stories in an unregulated/minimally regulated system. If providers were abusive, people stopped using them, and other providers gobbled them up. The reason for this explosion of innovation was because literally *anyone* with an internet connection and some intelligence could contribute to, or create a new idea, and promote it. This is how free software thrives. Anyone with an internet connection can download a code repository, read it, and suggest improvements. It doesn't matter if you are a millionaire payboy, or an ammonia scented cleaning woman, if your suggested changes are sound, you have improved the collective work, and everyone benefits from your innovative idea.

Instigating this kind of licensing would block out the vast majority of users from legally engaging in this process. As such, their ideas, even if perfectly valid, and even game changing, are withheld from inclusion, because "they aren't licensed."

This applies to every level of internet culture and its distributed source of innovation. It is poison to the very infrastructure they want to control.

The addage "don't ascribe to malice what can be ascribed to ignorance." Is stretched very thin here. How can you create such legislation, knowing what the internet is, and NOT see how it is antithetically counter opposed to the very foundational source of that system's recourcefulness and robustness in terms of innovation?

Stifle innovation? Really? Ya think?

Re:stifle innovation? really? ya think?

[M0j0_j0j0]

Actually i think they dont give a fuck about that innovation you speak off, they have a ticking clock to serious social problem, and the internet can speed it up. Sooo lets keep the techies under control.

Re:stifle innovation? really? ya think?

[Reziac]

Technically, California already has this sort of licensing, at least for computer techs (and a broad interpretation could include just about any sort of computer-related job).

http://www.bearhfti.ca.gov/
It is illegal in CA for an unlicensed person to perform repairs on a computer.

And the state runs sting operations:
http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/press_releases/2007/0928_sting.shtml

Re:what?

[couchslug]

"This will kill any Malaysian's ideas for growth..."

If they wanted modernity and growth the would reject religion. Since this is motivated BY religion, it's a self-punishing choice.

Please plug in your brain...

[Frosty Piss]

Whats wrong with requiring tech people to be licenced, we require it of doctors, lawyers, teachers, police need a warrant ..so why not IT tech workers.

Quality of service in not why they want to regulate people that work with computers. It's a matter of controlling communication, repressing opposition views.

Draft Bill

[Viceice]

The leaked draft bill is here:

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/75107593?access_key=key-22cz53lb62552asmdd43

The pertinent part is paragraph 18.

Re:Draft Bill

[udippel]

Make that paragraph 19, I'd suggest:
"no person shall, unless he is a Registered Computing Professional
(a) practice, carry on business or take up employment which requires him to carry out or perform the services of a Registered Computing Professional"
is sufficient to get the gist.

Re:Draft Bill

[Anonymous Coward]

Pertinent part is section 2:

"This Act applies to the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII)."
"“Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII)” refers to those assets, systems and functions that are vital to the nation that their incapacity or destruction would have a devastating impact on National economic strength or National image or National defense and security or Government capability to function or Public health and safety;"

It makes perfect sense to require companies and entities dealing with CNII to be evaluated and certified as competent.

A lot of things are wrong in Malaysia's political landscape, but this bill is a bad example of it. The government (the same political party in power since independence 54 year ago) is rotten by corruption and cronyism, it supports within the population has been going downhill in recent years as more and more corruption scandals have been exposed (thanks in great part to the internet - the local press is self-censored and owned by the political parties in power, most other publications are banned). With the next general election expected within months, the people are quick to bash the government for any proposed law or act that attacks their freedom. Most of the time, they are right to complain, the Peaceful Assembly Act the TFA briefly mention is a very good example of how the Malaysian government wants to control and restrict the freedom of speech and movement of their citizen, but that IT bill, well, it is not.

Living in Malaysia for 5 years now, it's a very nice and friendly country. Not what some people here may say. It's a muslim majority country, but very moderate and multi-ethnic. There are racial-based laws in effects which grants financial advantages, preference in employment and education, to the Malay (and Muslim) majority, corruption exists at every level of power and cronyism is a real plague. These are the real problem. Yet, Malaysia has a lot of potential and its people, the younger generation especially, is looking forward to make it a better place. I'm pretty confident they will.

Re:what?

[SlashdotWanker]

it's not religion or faith that's an issue. It's a totally corrupt regime who's been in power quite a while and is trying to implement sharia law for their own personal benefit. if this law goes into effect, it will cause the entire countries IT infrastructure to start slowly imploding. Who wants to paint a gigantic red bullseye on their back?

New Jersey Tried a Law Like That Once

[billstewart]

It was back in the 90s, if I remember correctly, and unlike some licensing laws that were passed to protect special interest groups, this was just because a legislator had met a licensed civil engineer at a party who was complaining about how he needed a license to build bridges and buildings, but people could design safety-critical software without knowing what they were doing. It seemed like a good idea at the time, so the legislator cribbed the state's civil engineering licensing laws, turned them into software engineering licensing laws, and by the time she was done you couldn't operate a microwave oven without a four-year degree from an accredited software engineering program, much less tell a web site designer what you wanted your web site to look like. And because she was in the majority political party in the state assembly, it not only passed her committee without any intelligent thought being applied to it, but also passed the state House. (And after all, most of the legislators were lawyers who also needed licenses to practice, so it didn't occur to them that this actually mattered.) Fortunately, a reporter from the Bergen Record saw the bill, thought about what it might mean, and asked the PR person from a major high-tech firm in the state what their opinion was. They looked at it, said "[expletive deleted]!!", told their friends, and all of them told their state senate contacts to kill the bill or it would cripple all the high-tech business in the state, and it died quietly.

Re:The west does it too

[93 Escort Wagon]

Only they call it "visa".

Some of us prefer "mastercard".

Re:One step away from IT Unions

[codegen]

Except that doctors lawyers and engineers are licensed by a professional body, not by the government. And there is a professional code of conduct that they must adhere to. Teachers and police are a certification, not a license (despite the name). You do not have to be a member of the professional body to practice.

Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII

[kaeru]

Some people have pointed out that this only applies to government or CNII http://cnii.cybersecurity.my/main/about.html. This is all the public have info on, and it encompasses almost every economic sector in Malaysia. Would ISP, Telekoms and Mobile operators come under critical services? How about Banking? Would this be another layer of requirements on top of existing ones to provide IT services to banks and financial institutions?

National Security is also a red flag. Malaysia has history of using National Security laws to hide information related to corruption or even arresting opposition politicians under this pretense.

Long term wise, the public statement has already stated that the objective is increasing quality for *all* IT professionals. So their intentions are obviously not limited to just CNII requirements.

Re:One step away from IT Unions

[jcr]

Precisely. The purpose of all trade licensing is to raise barriers to entry to protect the incompetent from competitors. It benefits the cartel at the expense of the public.

-jcr

Re:One step away from IT Unions

[Khyber]

"The purpose of all trade licensing is to raise barriers to entry to protect the incompetent from competitors"

And this is where you just fell flat on your face. We require food handling licenses in California because people are fucking incompetent and don't know the first fucking thing about cross-contamination of food products.