Computing Professionals Bill, after this, more new draconian laws to come

After the Peaceful Assembly Bill had been forcefully tabled and approved in the parliament with minimum debates, the BN federal government is now working on another bill in order to register and control professionals in the information technology (IT) sector.

It is called the Computing Professionals Bill. Many top IT professionals when asked on this proposed bill, many of them said they had not been consulted on the drafting of the bill. If the government were to have consulted the larger community in this profession, this entire issue would not have blown up today.

According to a source from the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, the bill, if approved, would only allow people registered with the proposed Board of Computing Professionals to perform and play active roles in the IT industry and its development. This means the IT would be a control and licensed profession just like the doctors, lawyers and civil engineers.

That means, the bill is clearly contradicting the Multimedia Super Corridor's (MSC) Bill of Guarantee which had promised a widely unrestricted employment opportunities of knowledge workers into this industry and no censorship on the internet or whoever using all these online facilities.

The IT and computing industry has been operating and developing in this country for decades and our people has been adapting with ease and enjoying the development of this high tech solution without any controversies or issues.

Therefore, it would be gravely immature, uncivilized and conservative kind of attempt to impose a bureaucratic requirement onto this industry which had grown tremendously into our community at large.

Should such bill were to proceed by the government, it would later pave way for other draconian laws to be enforced in this country. The government promised to repeal some parts of the ISA, the Restricted Residence Act, some sections of the University and University Colleges Act but in turn they come up with another sets of new draconian laws in order to continue their control over our people and the country.