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Democratized Web Helps Quality of Life in Malaysia
July 15, 2010
Kuala Lumpur. Want to buy a house in a safe area or avoid traffic snarls? Malaysians are tackling hot issues like crime and clogged roads with user-generated information that is “democratizing” the Web.
The Malaysia Crime Web site combines Twitter updates and web feeds from newspapers and social media sites onto Google maps to give a real-time picture of crime across Malaysia.
Software engineer Kegan Gan, 34, developed the Web site after a friend was attacked by “snatch thieves” who terrorize the Malaysian public with violent muggings.
“My friend even had his fingertip sliced off by the thieves and I thought there should be a place where we can get a real picture of crime in Malaysia,” he said.
“Now people know where it’s safe to buy a home, or even shop without being hassled.”
Prominent Malaysian software developer Colin Charles says the site, malaysiacrime.com, which is also available as a iPhone app, is made possible by Malaysia’s open source codes policy.
“In countries like Korea, Microsoft’s operating system has kept the market closed but because Malaysia has embraced other open operating systems like Linux and Mac OS, data is integrated from the various platforms,” he said.
“So, you are starting to keep things real because now the public has its own data and data is very powerful,” the pioneer open source developer said on the sidelines of the Open Web Asia conference in Kuala Lumpur.
“Previously there was no access to data, you were given what you saw in the daily newspaper. Today when an accident happens, people are tweeting and it’s updated on these sites, it’s everywhere.”
In a country where the mainstream media are largely government-linked and often mistrusted, Charles says user-generated sites can revolutionize how Malaysians respond to their biggest bogeymen.
Rampant crime and traffic congestion caused by inadequate infrastructure rank high on the list of issues Malaysians say they are most unhappy about, and encouraging official statistics have not silenced those gripes.
Another smartphone app called KL Traffic, integrates traffic camera feeds from around the capital with Twitter updates to give a comprehensive picture of where the traffic jams are and the best routes for your journey.
“Malaysia will become more democratic through the open Web, which may or may not be a good thing for the ruling party which can either embrace or view it as a threat,” Charles says.
Both sites were developed last year, but Gan says his app has already become one of the most-downloaded in the Malaysian iPhone app store.
July 15, 2010
Kuala Lumpur. Want to buy a house in a safe area or avoid traffic snarls? Malaysians are tackling hot issues like crime and clogged roads with user-generated information that is “democratizing” the Web.
The Malaysia Crime Web site combines Twitter updates and web feeds from newspapers and social media sites onto Google maps to give a real-time picture of crime across Malaysia.
Software engineer Kegan Gan, 34, developed the Web site after a friend was attacked by “snatch thieves” who terrorize the Malaysian public with violent muggings.
“My friend even had his fingertip sliced off by the thieves and I thought there should be a place where we can get a real picture of crime in Malaysia,” he said.
“Now people know where it’s safe to buy a home, or even shop without being hassled.”
Prominent Malaysian software developer Colin Charles says the site, malaysiacrime.com, which is also available as a iPhone app, is made possible by Malaysia’s open source codes policy.
“In countries like Korea, Microsoft’s operating system has kept the market closed but because Malaysia has embraced other open operating systems like Linux and Mac OS, data is integrated from the various platforms,” he said.
“So, you are starting to keep things real because now the public has its own data and data is very powerful,” the pioneer open source developer said on the sidelines of the Open Web Asia conference in Kuala Lumpur.
“Previously there was no access to data, you were given what you saw in the daily newspaper. Today when an accident happens, people are tweeting and it’s updated on these sites, it’s everywhere.”
In a country where the mainstream media are largely government-linked and often mistrusted, Charles says user-generated sites can revolutionize how Malaysians respond to their biggest bogeymen.
Rampant crime and traffic congestion caused by inadequate infrastructure rank high on the list of issues Malaysians say they are most unhappy about, and encouraging official statistics have not silenced those gripes.
Another smartphone app called KL Traffic, integrates traffic camera feeds from around the capital with Twitter updates to give a comprehensive picture of where the traffic jams are and the best routes for your journey.
“Malaysia will become more democratic through the open Web, which may or may not be a good thing for the ruling party which can either embrace or view it as a threat,” Charles says.
Both sites were developed last year, but Gan says his app has already become one of the most-downloaded in the Malaysian iPhone app store.
