KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- Energy, Water and Communications Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said he would propose to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to merge three ministries into one entity, to oversee the country's information and communications technology (ICT) industry.

Dr Lim said that merging the three ministries namely his current ministry, the Information Ministry and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, (MOSTI) would bring greater effect to the ICT sector.

Currently, MOSTI is in charge of ICT research and development (R&D) while the Information Ministry is responsible for licensing.

He would make the proposal before he retires, he said in reply to a question posed by a delegate at the Ministerial Plenary Dialogue Session of the Global Public Policy Conference 2005 here, Wednesday.

The question was why Malaysia has several ministries looking after different aspects of the local ICT industry.

"Before I retire, I will propose to the Prime Minister to merge the three ministries into one, to be called Technology and Communication Ministry," he said.

Dr Lim said that having different authorities would not only slow down the implementation of government plans on ICT, but would also hamper the efforts to bring ICT to the masses, such as Internet and broadband.

He said that although Malaysia was advanced than Indonesia and Thailand in terms of ICT, the two countries were however ahead in terms of placing the ICT under one entity.

"They are right on track, while we are what Malaysians call kelam-kabut (disorganised)," he said.