KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister's Department has set up a section to safeguard official information as it is concerned about hackers and thefts of government documents.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the Government was concerned about Internet security because it dealt with public confidence.

"We are worried that without a guarantee of security, public confidence in using electronic systems and sophisticated equipment will be affected," he said after presenting the Prime Minister's Quality Award here yesterday.

Citing an example of dot-com companies in the United States which lost millions of dollars due to hackers, he stressed the need to ensure that equipment were secured.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Halim Ali said the section under the Malaysian Administrative, Management and Modernisation Planning Unit (Mampu) was given the task to look into the security of government websites and the IT network.

"The Government has old security procedures. But with the Internet, documents can no longer be on paper, so we need to establish a proper procedure to govern a new form of filing documents.

"A professor from a local university will head the section," he added. Halim also admitted that most websites of ministries and departments were not up-to-date and efforts were being taken to improve them.

"I admit some were not updated and some have only a page or two of dull information. Presently there is no specific officer in charge but now all departments are required to have special officials who are known as chief information officers," he added.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Skudai was declared winner of the 1999 Prime Minister's Quality Award for the public sector category.

Asean Bintulu Fertilizer Sdn Bhd (ABF) in Bintulu Sarawak won the private sector category while the Miri branch of the Sarawak Red Crescent Society won the socio-economic sector category.

Winners received RM30,000, a trophy and a certificate of appreciation each.