local e-commerce site: lelong.com

Lelong.com.my was commerced at the end of 1998. It is the founders of the pioneer auction website in Malaysia. It provides an open trading platform where the market determines the value of items that are sold. Thus, it styled and functioned is similar to the international auction site such as eBay.com.

In the home page of Lelong.com.my, there are three language preferences for the users to select. Thus, the users may choose the language that he/she is more comfortable with. I believe this will probably reduce misunderstanding between the seller and the bidder. Beside that, Lelong.com.my has divided goods into different categories. This is easier for the users like me to search for the items as there are already categorized it.

Other than convenient, I am emphasis on the security when I trade. There is a safetrade service in this website that provide the buyer and seller to complete their online transaction more safety. Furthermore, people that are currently not residing in Malaysia are not allowed to sell things over this website. This is because they want to reduce and prevent online fraud. With this service provided, it enhances users confident during the online transaction.

It also provides a forum for the users to discuss and exchange information with other users. However, the most importantly is this website provide fee calculator. Thus, the users only need to key in the figure and the calculator will show them the exact amount that they suppose to pay. It is so convenient and users friendly.

Things to take note to prevent e-auction fraud when a consumer participating in an e-auction

Nowadays, e-auction becomes a normal and popular internet activity for the internet users. However, e-auction fraud such as bid shielding, shilling, failure to ship merchandise and other problems still exist.

Thus, some important issue must take note when a consumer participating in an e-auction in order to minimize or prevent e-auction fraud.

User identifies verification: IC number, mother’s name, driver’s license or such privacy information can use by users to identify the verification when make bid in e-auction or trading in the internet.

Authentication service: It is a service provide by the specific companies use to determine whether an item is genuine or not. However, sometimes different expert authenticators may have different opinion when doing the verification in the same item based on their different experience.

Grading services: It used to determine the physical condition of the items. Different items may have different grading system. Thus, it will be more precise when grading the items.

Escrow Service: It provides users with safe and convenient environment when they conduct business with other users through internet. Escrow service provider act as a third-party. They collect, hold and send a buyer’s money to a seller according to instructions agreed on by both buyer and seller. Once the buyer receives and approves the item from the seller within an agreed time frame, the escrow service will send the payment to the seller.

Feedback forum: Feedback forum is a good platform that allows buyer and sellers to build up their own e-auction reputation. Users can give comment on their online trading experience. It is especially useful when potential buyer make reference to those comments in the feedback forum in order to make online trading decision.

Non-payment Punishment: It is a policy implemented by the e-Bay to punish those who do not pay for their winning bids at the due time. For example, suspension of their accounts. This can be a warning to those bidders who do not honor in the winning bids.

Piracy in Malaysia: Fighting through education and enforcement

Malaysia’s image has once being alleged as a leading producer and exporter of pirated products. According to Fifth Annual Business Software Alliance (BSA) and International Date Corporation (IDC) Global Software Piracy Study, Malaysia maintained its software piracy rate at 59% , it is representing a loss of US311 million. The following chart illustrates average piracy rates in the Asia Pacific region:

Cultural differences are the major factors that affect the piracy problem. In addition, the strength of intellectual property protection and the availability of pirated software also the factors that determine the piracy rate in the particular country.

Furthermore, development of internet and technology has increased the conveniences of privacy. People produce huge numbers of CDs and DVDs in short time and sell them at very low prices. Those illegal download from internet has caused music and video companies suffer thousand million dollars losses per year.

Therefore, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs work along with Business Software Alliance or other relevant association to counter the piracy problem. They should focus on the sources that cause piracy problem in order to mitigate it.

In addition, they should educate the consumers and computer users through public education such as awareness campaigns. This will enrich the users' knowledge regarding other people copy right. Furthermore, it may inform the businesses and the public at large about the risked associated with using the pirated product and encouraging the use of legitimate product.

Insignificant punishment toward those pirated activities have been the main cause of piracy in Malaysia. Thus, strong government policy with effective enforcement is the key mean to minimize the piracy rate as well. Although it will take longer time to process but it is the most effective method.

Corporate Blogging: A new marketing communication tool for companies

Corporate blog is a blog published by or with the support of an organization to reach their organization’s goal. Companies use it for external and internal communications. External communications is to strengthen relationships with important target groups. Internally, blogs are use as tools for collaboration and knowledge management.

Corporate often updated its blog to announce news about their new products and services. It also uses to explain and clarify policies as well as react on public criticism on certain issues. This has enabled the company to communicate with customer more effectively. Hence, this has increase the transparency and accessibility in the corporate image. For example Bplans Blog is a great extension of Bplans.com.

Beside that, it is a user-friendly publishing interface. The design of the webpage is more creative and innovative compare to the traditional communication channel in marketing the products and services. Thus, it attracts people to visit the blog and promoted the company products and services.

Furthermore, corporate blogging is the most cost effective way in marketing the company products and services. This is because people that surfing internet is often more than the people reading newspaper. The management also need not need to spend money on making changes of the information in the blog. This has reduced the expenses of advertisement for company.

Corporate blogging has broadened the corporate internet marketing program. At the same time, corporate blogs enable some interact with the targeted market on a more personal level by building link credibility to tie back to the corporate site. Thus, it has increased the corporate websites’ value and it become more visible to search engines. Therefore, corporate blogging has become one of the marketing tools in most of the companies.

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E-Government in Malaysia:Its implementation so far and citizen adoption strategies

Electronic government (E-government) is one of the seven flagship applications introduced in Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC). In the survey, Malaysia’s ranking is at 25th out of 32 countries in terms of E-government usage growth. Since the implementation of E-government was initiated in 1996, it enables government to exchange information, provide services and transaction with citizens, businesses and other arms of governments more efficiently.

Implementation of e-government includes several government processes and services online such as:-
e-Procurement – purchase and sale of supplies and services through the internet. It provides real time bidding solutions for buyers and sellers that bring an unprecedented level of profitability, control and simplicity to corporate procurement and liquidation processes.

Project Monitoring System – system used to monitor the implementation of government’s development projects from the high-level management down to activity levels. This enables government agencies to have a better management and access information.

Electronic Labour Exchange – provide a one-stop job search and job advertisement platform for Malaysian jobseekers and employers.

E-Syariah – provide a case management structure that integrates the processes related to management of cases for the Syariah Court.

Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) – provide a single interface for government employees to efficiently and effectively manage the human resource processes.

Citizen’s adoption strategies of e-government in Malaysia:-
1) Improve legislation on personal data protection, privacy and security so that consumers are protected. Hence, they feel more confident and safer performing online transactions with government.
2) Narrow the digital divide especially in urban so that the citizens are ready and able to adopt online government services.
3) Provide e-Citizen education, skills and training to every citizen about the benefits of using e-government services.

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