Questions/Answers

The K3M initiative is the evolution of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s community relations from traditional engagement to virtual engagement to enhance the communication network between the Royal Malaysian Navy and various maritime communities in the country since 15 January 2016 including commercial ship companies, tourism operators and fishermen. The problem being faced was the fact that the Royal Malaysian Navy and the maritime communities lack a conducive and timely communication channel, information sharing and decision making process particularly with regards to emergency situations or incidents that occurred to the community members. While communication channels do currently exist in the form of radio and telephone communications, there are still limitations to both. However, both radio and telephone communications are verbal-based only and thus other forms of information cannot be readily shared such as maps or a visual picture of the situation, nor can information be widely disseminated or stored for future reference and easily accessible for all, e.g in the case of recently discovered or emerged navigational hazards. While datalinks and networks do cover such gaps, accessibility is sometimes limited to certain members of the community and the average tourist or maritime recreational user may not have any knowledge of or access, be it in the form of tools or permission to such datalinks. As a result, the K3M initiative had evolved to the next phase, becoming the only mobile application that cuts through such limitations by providing a tool to rapidly respond to any emergency situation via SOS function which is easily accessible and enables widespread dissemination of information to all.

The overall objective of the initiative is to better enable the RMN and other maritime enforcement agencies to assist, support and engage the maritime communities and those living in, around or in the vicinity of the maritime domain, especially in Malaysian waters. Similarly, there is a greater need for better communication between the various government agencies and organizations tasked with the security and safety of the maritime domains and maritime community. In addition, there is also the need to overcome the individual response nexus in which those requiring assistance only know one organization to contact when another organization may be better positioned or more suitable to assist them. The K3M mobile application initiative builds a real time communication nexus that encompasses the RMN, other government agencies and the maritime communities into a network that allows all on it to engage each other effectively. Effective and inclusive communication, information sharing and engagement provided by the application allow the RMN to better ensure its mission of providing security in the maritime domain. To ensure that the response to calls for assistance, SOS and reports are effective, the RMN has set a key performance indicator of the Navy Operation Centre responding within 3 minutes of an SOS call or report being made.

By introducing a mobile app in a country where personal mobile communication devices are possessed by almost every citizen, the initiative ensures that there are no restrictions and barriers to access. The K3M mobile application is free and easily downloadable and requires no additional or specialized extensions or services. The application allows maritime community members to communicate their views and concerns effectively and directly to the RMN and other maritime enforcement agencies. On the other hand, it also allows the RMN to effectively notify maritime communities of developments that may affect them. There are no barriers or restrictions for users to communicate at any given time and with the RMN continuously monitoring the application, users are ensured that they will be heard. The open and transparent architecture of the application and its use was designed to provide a platform to encourage all to participate and a platform in which all using it have an equal voice in communicating on it. Users are also able to upload and share information on the platform, and thus when voicing concerns or opposition to proposed decisions, are able to validate their arguments with supporting evidence.

The provision of the K3M mobile application allows the RMN and other enforcement agencies to rapidly respond to any emergency situation via the SOS function with an easily accessible tool. At the same time, the application also allows maritime community members to share information to the relevant authorities with regards to emerging or discovered maritime hazards, pollution, criminal or suspicious activities and thus improve the overall maritime domain awareness picture for the authorities. At the same time, the mobile application provides the public with real-time access to the latest information and warnings with regards to the maritime domain and enables them to take timely, preventive or precaution actions to any emerging danger. This is particularly important in regard to warnings of impending natural disasters such as tsunamis to coastal areas as the traditional public real-time warning methods via public broadcasts and radio have become less effective due to the majority of the public no longer following radio stations and television channels. As such, the mobile application is more effective in reaching people with the result that public service announcement such as disaster warnings are effectively delivered through the use of more relevant and viable communication methods.

The initiative has addressed the issue in regard to reaching and engaging the communities effectively. The number of people involved in maritime activities, particularly in regard to maritime recreational activities, has increased but at the same time many of these people do not possess the communication tools to communicate effectively with the authorities. While mobile communications devices are common to almost everyone, the method of communicating via telephone is cumbersome and leads to delays. The K3M mobile application provides real-time virtual engagement that leverages on a seamless communication network and utilizing crowd sourcing for relevant data in addressing maritime related issues at sea. An SOS button in the application allows users to immediately broadcast a call for help without having to find the appropriate phone number to call and also allows the relevant authorities to immediately respond rather than wait for the party which received the call for assistance to relay the information. It also allows the broadcasting of weather warning and safety advisory on maritime-related information such as crimes & incident at sea simultaneously to all parties as not everyone possesses a radio.

The K3M mobile application has given the public a greater confidence in the RMN and other maritime enforcement agencies. In the past, the maritime communities have had less confidence due to the cumbersome methods and difficulties in requesting assistance and the slow response time. This had lead to some members of the communities having the perception that the government and security agencies are unconcerned about their safety and security. However, the community engagement initiative and combined with the K3M application has increased awareness of the enforcement agencies’ efforts to assist and this has lead to a change in perception and greater engagement opportunities.

The K3M initiative leverages the use of existing technology to address the problem of engaging and responding to maritime community members and at the same time provide seamless connectivity that enhances the maritime enforcement agencies’ responsiveness and reduces the level of bureaucracy. Using an existing, common use communication device in the form of the mobile phone ensures that the initiative is easily implemented and requires no additional cost to its users. It is a completely new mechanism and first application in the region for sending an SOS, reporting incidents at seas, lodging other reports to the RMN and other enforcement agencies. It is also contains other features for sharing information such as tide prediction, weather forecast, vessel tracking, weather warning and maritime enforcement agency directory. Royal Brunei Navy has expressed interest to the RMN in learning more on the K3M application in order to apply a similar system in their organization.

The concept of the innovation came from the idea of the Royal Malaysian Navy Chief, based on the experiences and responses gained from the ‘Hello There’ initiative where the RMN conducted a series of face-to-face engagement with the various maritime communities. It was realized that a wider outreach could be carried out with a virtual engagement that also provided a near real time response. This then culminated in the development of the mobile application by a RMN team. While open source software was used for the application, the Malaysian Intellectual Property Office has determined that the K3M mobile application is an original creation and not built upon or adapted from existing creations or infringing or violating any proprietary or intellectual rights. As far as the RMN is aware of, no similar application exists in regard to engaging the maritime community in order to provide better security and safety for them.

The K3M initiative started since 15 January 2016 and the cost of conducting engagement activities to introduce the initiative to the maritime communities was MYR 112,000.00 (USD 28,652.75) which includes but not limited to roadshows, software development and advertisement. In addition, local telecommunications company TM Berhad is currently involved in funding and developing the web-based version of this application where the network coverage is expanded using satellite communication. To increase public awareness on the initiative, the RMN had organized 20 roadshows throughout the country with talks and presentations involving 10 personnel. Not limited to this, RMN ships conducting routine operations have also engaged in promoting the initiative to those that they encountered at sea and this have had a great impact to encourage the community members to optimize the application effectively.

Yes

This initiative has been adapted by other maritime agencies such as the Marine Department, Malaysian Maritime, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department and the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia. The usage has been extended through their respective operational centres for sharing information and response in accordance to the respective reports concerning their various responsibilities. For example, the Fisheries Development Authority will respond to any report regarding activities that is in violation of the Fisheries Act.

The simplicity and ease of use of the application along with the accessibility of it is expected to ensure that maritime stakeholders will use the application continuously. There is no cost or additional cost to the maritime community members in using the application, given that it leverages off existing technology and the widespread, common use and ownership of mobile devices by the population and no specific charges are levied on usage of the application. Little to no impact is made to the environment due to usage of existing technologies and current situation in regard to personal mobile device usage in the country.

The initiative is not tied to any technological or financial limitations and the K3M mobile application is designed to be easily modified and/or upgradable with additional features if required. There are virtually no operating, maintenance and support costs in regard to it so it is not susceptible to fiscal or budgetary limitations or constraints. The constant engagement with users of the system and the ability to receive feedback from users allow the K3M mobile application to be modified down the line to better serve the needs of users. Furthermore, the use of a mobile application which does not require a specific proprietary device to operate ensures its sustainability, no matter what mobile device a user uses or subsequently changes to in the future, the user can still continue to use the K3M application. Unless personal mobile devices are superseded by a radical new form of personal communication method or device, the K3M mobile application will always be relevant. Furthermore, the need for an effective way for the maritime community to obtain timely assistance in regard to safety and security will always perpetually exist and thus similarly, the K3M application will always be needed.

Yes

Evaluation was done by using the “End User Computing Satisfaction Instrument”. The structure adopted in evaluation contained two sections with a total of 21 questions. The first section is to obtain demographic data of responders while the second section is to measure user satisfaction, focusing on application suitability, design and content. The evaluation was done by “tick in the box” method with a five-point scale where one is the lowest and five being the highest point. The survey was done through the ‘Hello There’ activities totaling 500 respondents and the questionnaires were distributed to various categories of maritime communities such as ship owners, seafarers, tourists, resort owners, fisherman associations, maritime enforcement agencies and oil and gas companies.

The details of the evaluation are depicted under Section 2 of the questionnaire. Overall, the result shows that more than 90% of respondents are satisfied with the K3M application. Whereas another 10% are merely concerned about the feedback process to the users after action being taken. The scores of the 14 questions were used to measure the K3M user satisfaction. From the scale of 1 to 5, the indicators decided were 1 - 2 classified as Not Satisfied (NS) and 3 - 5 classified as Satisfied (S). 91% of respondents are satisfied with the successfulness of the execution of the application, while 94.4% said they are satisfied with the accuracy of information available on the application. Content-wise, 91.2% are happy with what is provided and 82.8% are satisfied with the reports given using the application. 93.6% of respondents meanwhile said the information provided is accurate and another 93.2% said it is up-to-date. In terms of time of response, 91.6% of respondents were satisfied with the speed of response to their reports and distress calls. Overall, 91% of respondents are satisfied with the application with 91.4% saying it is beneficial to them.

5 indicators were used to evaluate the application, to gauge whether it has met the objective of enabling the RMN to assist, support and engage the maritime community and those living in, around or in the vicinity of the RMN’s maritime domain. The five indicators are: a. Content – whether information received was precise and met the user’s requirement. b. Accuracy – whether the application is accurate and the user is satisfied with the app’s stability c. Format – whether the information provided was useful and clear to the users. d. Ease of Use – whether users found the application easy to use. e. Timeless – whether the information provided is up-to-date and timely.

In the design phase of the K3M mobile application, the RMN had conducted a user requirement specification which involved the following other agencies; the Malaysian Maritime Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency, the Marine Police, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, the Marine Department, the Department of Fisheries Malaysia and the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia. The user requirement specification involved input in regard to function, menu and interface within the application. Collaboration on the technical aspects of the mobile application was done with national telecommunications provider TM Berhad. This is part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiative in assisting the RMN. Integration was done rigorously through participation of all stakeholders. Installation and operationalization of the application was done at the respective Operation Centre’s of the agencies involved in security and safety of the maritime domain namely Maritime Operations Centre, RMN East Operations Centre, RMN West Operations Centre, Royal Malaysian Customs Department Operations Centre, Marine Police Operations Centre and Eastern Sabah Security Command Operations Centre. Evaluation was done via the feedback menu of the K3M application with feedback being provided by the Malaysian Ship Owners Association, the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia and TM Berhad.

There are 2 lessons learnt identified (1) the fact that the K3M application’s range is limited to the service coverage provided by the mobile network, this however did not discourage maritime communities from communicating with the RMN when they are in need of help or for the purpose of sharing information’s through radio communications via their head office onshore. Hence the need to fast track the plan to expand the coverage by utilizing satellite communications via the internet through collaboration with local TELCO Company to further improve the K3M application’s capabilities. (2) The K3M has provided an easily accessible method of communication to maritime enforcement agencies which encourages maritime communities to be more active in providing information to the authorities on activities happening at sea. This has indirectly provided very important source of real time information’s to maritime enforcement agencies. Through K3M the maritime communities are now ears and eyes of maritime enforcement agencies which translate into providing safety and security to the communities whenever they are at sea.