Malaysia to study separation of Internet from public service sector computers

Malaysia will study the suitability of separating the internet from the work computers in its public service sector, said its Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Ali Hamsa.

He said no policy would be made on the matter currently.

"If it concerns security, the threat should not only be looked at from the aspect of the internet but also the social media too," he told Bernama.

He was asked to comment on the development in Singapore which had started to separate the internet from the work computer of civil servants for security reasons.

"We will look at the modus operandi in Singapore first," he added.

If it was to be implemented in the public service in Malaysia, various aspects must first be looked into, he said.

In terms of its abuse by civil servants, Ali said the situation was not that serious in Malaysia.

On Oct 10, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was reported as saying that ministers, senior civil servants and half of all public agencies had started separating Internet surfing from their work computers to boost the security of critical Government systems.

Lee said the rest of the Government agencies were on track to implement the initiative by the middle of next year.

The Straits Times reported that Singapore civil servants could still access the Web via separate government computers dedicated for that purpose, or use their personal mobile devices.

But their work computers, where they accessed their e-mail, would not have Internet surfing capabilities, the report said.