Exploring on Acceptance of E-Participation in The Malaysian Public Sector: A Review Paper

Public Management Department, School of Government, UUM College of Law, Government, and International Studies (COLGIS), Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010 Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: mohamad_nur_salam@gsgsg.uum.edu.my

Abstract

Since the federal, state, and local levels of government in Malaysia have all initiated the e-participation project as an integration of the national e-government initiative and combined communication-based applications consisting of government-to-citizen (G2C) orientation, assessment studies have discovered that the delivery of this project carries multiple issues. These include minimal digital knowledge, a lack of awareness, the requirement for more government support for the project, and other factors. This has resulted in certain entities not making the most of e-participation tools. Thus, this review paper intends to examine some relevant acceptance factors of the Malaysian government's e-participation programme, which has received significant investment. This study methodology used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Technology Readiness Index (TRI) to build the research model for this study by exploring the relevant books, journals, online materials, and study reports linked to the e-participation acceptance in Malaysian public sector. The UTAUT and TRI factors may influence the likelihood of its adoption by all Malaysian governments and citizens, which will encourage them to support the use of e-participation in the public sector in Malaysia. The proposed model will evaluate the individual acceptance of e-participation in the Malaysian public sector. This study is anticipated to provide several guidance to relevant parties, particularly the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU), which is one of the most prominent government agencies in Malaysia responsible for modernising and reforming the public sector through the digitalisation process, and other related government agencies in Malaysia. For future studies, additional empirical qualitative and quantitative methodologies are required to validate the findings of this study.