Screenshots

Has the SMS Scam stopped? The scammers punished and removed from the industry?

You bet!

Next Monday September 17, under the auspicious grace of Ramadan, the MCMC will call the SMS content players -- the celcos and their external content providers -- to a meeting. Keyword: Enforcement.

Mr MCMC, Dr Halim Shafie now seems ready to manoeuvre as Maxis Preventive System (MPG) has been installed and commissioned, or so it seems.

Manoeuvres?

Yes, in tandem, parties played their respective parts -- with the special ones taking the top roles.

The records show, and the sequence of events illustrates itself unaided.

Let's take a closer look:

1. Prior to June 2006: The first cases of SMS Scams were unearthed, but some reasons only known to MCMC, the scandal was kept under wrap.


2. March 13, 2007: Financial weekly The Edge blew the cover on the rogue external content providers.


3. April 9, 2007: The CEOs of the three celcos were officially notified of the SMS Scam, with a list of repeat offenders forthcoming.


4. April 14, 2007: The MPG API was revealed.


5. April - June: 2007: Confusion, anxiety and caution enveloped the external content players as to the identity of Maxis' outsourced preventive gateway operator, and doubted the independence of governance of the preventive gateway. Former KTAK Deputy Secretary-General Shukor Rosli feared "the thief " may be made the security guard at the sentry point, instead.


6. May 23, 2007: Toprole Network Sdn Bhd, a RM2 company, was made a subsidiary of Goldis Berhad, which also owns.Macro Kiosk Berhad, a four-time repeat offender on MCMC's official records, here and here
.

7. June 5, 2007: The Maxis Elite 18 ECP Programme was launched, enlisting known repeat offenders in the scam.


8. August 1, 2007: Maxis Preventive Gateway, with solutions outsourced to a "top role" company, came on stream.


9. September 6, 2007: Energy, Water and Communications Minister Dr Lim Keng Yaik replied to Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang’s query in Parliament that all celcos must set up a preventive system that automatically blocks spamming and spoofing of SMS-- and trace their origins - by the end of this month.

   However, the Minister could not answer Kit Siang's question on why MCMC had not ordered the companies to compensate users who were charged regardless whether they received spam or not. Keng Yaik said most of the cases were still under investigations.



10. September 7, 2007: MCMC was notified of the Minister's displeasure at the way the SMS Scam was handled. Lim Kwang Mi, the Minister's Senior Private Secretary went on overdrives and made many contacts.


11. September 11, 2007: Maxis issued an instruction to select list of ECPs to solicit "endorsement" for its "successful migration" to MPG. It came in the form of a Maxis-prepared sample acknowledgment letter that the ECP must comply.


12. September 17, 2007: MCMC will be calling a meeting with the players -- all celcos and their ECPs -- with an agenda to "move forward". Keyword: Enforcement.

UNDER DURESS

Screenshots has obtained a copy of the imperative soliciting endorsement of the MPG that Maxis sent to select ECPs, tactically via PDF and fax copies to different companies. Some ECPs told Screenshots, in order to sustain themselves in the good book of Maxis, they will acknowledge it under duress.

Meanwhile, who operates the Maxis Preventive System? Call this number: +603-2162 7300. It points to a switchboard in the vicinity of Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

Don't be surprised with the top role company Maxis ploys to employ. Perhaps not the least for Mr MCMC?

Selamat menyambut bulan Ramadan Al-Mubarak, Dr Halim. He is nearest our hearts this one month.