Go Ahead, Use the Web. Just Keep Your Mouth Shut.(Brief Article)

Singapore has invested $856 million since 1977 in making government more accessible online. Most motorists now register their vehicles on the Web, job hunters browse the civil-service offerings and students explore career prospects at the Ministry of Education. In June alone, the ministry Web site recorded more than 1.5 million hits, an increase of 120 percent in six months. "Electronic services are very much integrated into the system and are accessible 24 hours a day," says Hoe Chin Fee, managing director of ACNielseneRatings.com in South Asia. "It is no wonder that more Singaporeans are opting for the online option."

The government is also making headway in the opposite direction: clamping down on free expression on the Web. In August, Parliament passed a law restricting Web sites from endorsing opposition parties. Although the government tolerates little political criticism and has rigorously policed the Web for years, this is the first law aimed specifically at the Internet. Already a handful of independent sites that host open discussions have shut down or curtailed their services. "E-government should be used to provide services, not promote the reputation of the government," says Melvin Tan, communications director for Thinkcentre, a site that recently closed. The government is most concerned about upcoming elections, says an Internet developer for the ruling party. "The government does not feel safe with something about which it can not predict the outcome," he says. Unpredictability is one thing democracy and the Internet have in common.

Mahlon Meyer

GADGETS

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