KUALA LUMPUR: There is no such thing as an application with “zero defects” as any application software is bound to have bugs and glitches.
Prestariang Skin Sdn Bhd (PSKIN) chief executive officer Raja Azmi Adam said that is the reason application software developers run patches and regular updates to ensure that their applications run smoothly.
“For a non-technical person, ‘zero defects’ can be in the perspective of the application, in that there will be no bugs when the system goes live in 2021,” he said on the sidelines of a Prestariang Bhd business update here today.
He was referring to a statement made by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday that the new immigration system should have “zero defects” when it is put into place.
“Bugs will always be there. Any application, even those widely used like Microsoft Office, has bugs,” Raja Azmi said.
Yesterday, PSKIN entered into a 15-year concession agreement (CA) with the government via the home ministry for the implementation of the new National Immigration Control System (Sistem Kawalan Imigresen Nasional or SKIN).
The new system is an improved version of the existing MyImms system and is expected to be fully implemented in three years.
Azmi said PSKIN had identified the weaknesses and problems in the current immigration system, namely that it is on an obsolete platform which is vulnerable to threats.
“All technology that they use is old technology. As things have changed, the global threat also has changed. Things are different in that perspective,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prestariang Bhd president and group chief executive officer Abu Hasan Ismail said the company has to find RM1 billion for its risk financing to cover the initial cost of the project before the company officially hands over the system to the government.
“According to the agreement, the government will start paying us in 2021, that is three years from now.
“So the cost from now until that time, we have to find some financing for the application software development of the solution,” Hasan said.
He added that the company is currently in talks with several banks and is approaching its partners and investors internally to carry on with the financing.
SKIN is a comprehensive and integrated technology platform solution aimed at modernising the core applications and infrastructure of the national immigration and border control systems. It is hoped that the system will address current and future operational demands.
The SKIN modules cover passport and travel document management; visa, passes and entry permits; border control and security management; enforcement and depot management; and risk assessment engine.
Once SKIN goes live, the application software solution will be handed over to Prestariang Services Sdn Bhd, a service delivery unit under PSKIN that will handle the overall delivery of SKIN and its maintenance.
Payment to Prestariang by the government will only commence upon full commissioning of SKIN solutions, with an average annual payment of RM294.7 million during the maintenance service period.
The RM3.5 billion deal inked by PSKIN is just part of the RM6 billion rollout set by the government which has been divided into small work packages since 2016.
Prestariang Bhd is a technology and talent pioneer company founded in 2003 and listed on Bursa Malaysia in 2011. Hasan is its main shareholder, having 28% of the company, while Malaysia’s Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) holds 12.9%.
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