KUALA LUMPUR Dec 8 - The Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry today issued its first Certification Authority licence to Digicert Sdn Bhd which will enable the licensee to issue digital signature certification from Jan 1, 1999.

As the certification authority, Digicert, a joint venture between Pos Malaysia Bhd (40 percent), Mimos Bhd (30 percent) and GITN Bhd (30 percent), will authenticate and certify the identity of persons or organisations conducting electronic transactions in a multimedia network environment.

Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Leo Moggie said at least two more of such licences will be issued to local companies when the demand warranted.

''The government is prepared to issue additional licences after ascertaining the needs of users on digital signatures in the future,'' he said at the licence presentation ceremony here.

Moggie said competition has to be created to raise the performance of the companies concerned and to ensure that consumers can have a choice of their digital certification companies.

He also disclosed that there have been proposals to impose charges on three classes of authentication.

The first is for e-mail charges proposed at between RM15 and RM30 annually while class two will be for e-mail usage and business transactions at between RM20 and RM40 annually.

Class three will be divided into two categores in which the first will be for personal use at RM100 annually while the second category will be for server usage in organisations and this is proposed at RM500 annually for the first server and RM400 for the additional server.

Moggie said the charge proposals will be decided by the government before the end of the year.

He aid the issuance of the licence is important to ensure the success of the implementation of the Digital Signature Act which became effective on Oct 1, 1998.

The implementation of the Act will help the development of the multimedia industry and electronic commerce while protecting businesses and individuals in electronic transactions over the Internet.

Moggie said the main function of the Digital Signature under the Act is to enable Internet users to certify the identity of the people who are engaged in transactions with them, that the digital signature is not false and that cases of electronic commerce can be proven through the legal process.

This is because digital signatures have the same standing as written signatures, fingerprints or other signs which have been recognised under the law.

As such, those who undertake transactions using technology under the Act cannot deny their involvement in the transactions concerned, he said.

The Act is enforced under the powers of the Controller's Office of the Certification Authority from early this year in which the Director-General of Posts is the Controller.

Moggie said the government has decided that the functions of the Controller's Office be taken over by Communications and Multimedia Commission from April 1, 1999 when the Communications and Multimedia Act is enforced.

Meanwhile, Digicert will invest about RM46 million over the next three years to set up a technical public key infrastructure for the implementation of digital signatures, said a company official.

The company would invest RM6 million in its first year of operation, RM10 million in the second and RM30 million in the third, said its managing director, Azli Othman.

He told reporters after receiving the licence from Moggie that as a Certification Authority, the company will authenticate and certify the identity of persons or organisations conducting electronic transactions in a multimedia network environment.

It will also produce digital certificates that will enable users to have secured transactions over a network, without worrying about issues about confidentiality, integrity, authenticity and non-repudiation being compromised.

Azli said Digicert's services include user registration, authentication of identities and attributors and issuing, maintaining and revoking digital certificates to individuals and both public and private sector organisations.

Pos Malaysia' executive chairman Tan Sri Zainol Mahmood said Pos Malaysia will introduce various electronic products to customers soon.

They include bill payments via the Internet, and purchase of stamps, despatching of e-mails and registered letters and documents by Poslaju through the Internet.