MOSTI: Stop Computing Professionals Bill 2011 (CPB2011)

Why This Is Important

Update: Althought this bill is going to be focus on  CNII, which does not apply to ALL ICT professional. We will be updating more on this.

Malaysian IT professionals: beware, there are factions trying to create a Board of Computing Professionals Bill to Act. This is not positive for industry. Computer societies (like MNCC, BCS in UK, ACS in Australia) are one thing. But an Act just like we have for engineers/architects/lawyers/doctors only shows that there is monopoly coming soon. Remember, lots of people in IT don't even have degrees in their respective fields -- that’s the beauty of IT. This will probably not be allowed in the near future if we allow such a Bill to become an Act. (via Colin Charles)

According to ernamahyuni.com

Oppose it because it seeks to force you to limit and narrowly define the scope of your talents.

Oppose it because the government is effectively trying to decide what you can or cannot work on and who you can work with.

Oppose it because unnecessary regulation like this will cripple, not enhance the already challenged industry.

Oppose it because this is a poorly thought out, badly put-together piece of bullcrap.

Kavilan Nakaswaram wrote on Facebook

• 11 (1) (a) Board shall keep and maintain the Register - what are the guarantees that it will not be abused? Too much power.
• 11 (1) (j) The board has power to establish any councils deemed fit by the Board - too much power to arbitrarily place control
•  11 (2) and its subsections give the Board a lot of freedom in terms of financing. Opens the door to more wastage n corruption
• 12 (2) - It does not recognize self-taught skills. Only those obtained through academic qualifications, training or professional certifications.
• Qualifications for Registration with Board, Section 14: The qualifications must be recognized by the Board - Again, too much power vested. The Board has the power to decide wat qualifications it wants to recognize. No indication of what standards to follow. Remember how the MMC stopped recognition of medical students from Crimea State Uni? Stuff like that could happen with IT students.
• Restrictions on unregistered persons, Section 19 - This is the mother load. There's a lot of stuff here that'll kill freelancers and even code modifiers.
• 19 (1) (a) - if u are not registered, you CANNOT practice, carry on bussiness or take up employment that provides services defined earlier
• 19 (3) Registeredd Computing Professionals may only provide Computing Services in the disciplines or specialisations of Computing he/she is qualified to practise. This basically states that if you are registered in Skillset A, you can't provide services for Skillset B, even if you know your stuff
• Section 34 - CNII entities or person CANNOT employ non-registered practitioner, professional or services provider to perform computing services
• Section 42 - You CANNOT sue the Board or its members in respect to anything.
• Section 43 - Board and its members cannot reveal any information. Something like Official Secrets Act.
• Section 43 gives the Board powers to not reveal anything. So you wont know the rationale behind their decisions that affects US.
• 45 (1) - A fund shall be established, administered and controlled by the Board; 45 (2) (a) - Minister can approve funds.
• 46 (b) - (The fund can be used for) paying allowances & other expenses of the members of the Board and other benefits. This simply gives the Board to use up the monies without proper control; especially if the Minister is in cahoots

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