THE Transport Ministry's "starting today" move to press people to go virtual with their road tax discs is arguably the speediest government decision ever.
When did we hear the government last say "starting today"? Not since 1957. But it has the making of a push too fast. Here is why.
Firstly, not all are able and ready for such a speedy shift. True, a quick look at Malaysia's Internet data may tell us that we have notched 98 per cent access, with 99 per cent owning mobile devices.
But this isn't the whole story. There are Malaysians who aren't prepared for this surprise push to the virtual world. Even the Road Transport Department appears not to have been ready for the Friday rush. Many could not get past the login page, a familiar refrain of old. Bureaucracy may just have moved online.
Our memory is still fresh with the constant torment that the MyIMMS (Malaysian Immigration System) inflicts on us. When our passport expires, we perspire. Malaysia's passport and work permit e-world that is so given to glitches and breaches that snaking queues at counters end up becoming a common sight.
Whatever happened to the queueless e-world? The Immigration Department's answer to its system's frequent failures was to replace it with another. Would the RTD's e-world similarly disappoint?
If its performance on Friday is anything to go by, we must be prepared for longer queues at the counters than we were accustomed to before. Like the Immigration Department, the RTD may be in constant search for the perfect system.
Secondly, the Internet access data notwithstanding, not all of Malaysia is wired. Even in some areas where there is Internet access, the signals are weak. According to one estimate, more than three million Malaysians didn't use the Internet last year. Such is the digital divide in Malaysia.
As recently as two years ago, eight students in Pitas, a district in Sabah, had to trek up a hill to access the Internet. One even had to sleep on a tree. If the government's aim is to send Malaysians to the virtual world, then it must be made to come to them.
Until then, they must be allowed to live in the physical world. Commendably, the Transport Ministry is allowing people in areas without Internet to renew the road tax and licence at the counters for now.
Finally, safety of personal data, especially when apps of foreign companies are involved. What guarantee is there that our personal data isn't shared with third parties? We are not exaggerating.
Our private data has gone on public sale so often that it gives a lie to those who claim that it is safe. Take the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) 2010. Lawyers have pointed out two weaknesses. One, they say it only applies to "commercial" transactions. Our dealings with the RTD slips, slides away through such legal loopholes.
They also escape in another way. Should our data be stored outside Malaysia, PDPA hasn't as long an arm to reach there.
True, "starting today" is a laudable move, especially when it comes to solving people's problems. But before getting started, the public service and people must be made ready for it.
Friday's moan by many tells us that the RTD isn't that ready. Neither are some Malaysians. As in sport, a three-command start will help both: on your mark, get set, go.