Senate: MOH urged to give guarantees on safety of personal data in MySejahtera

Senator Muhammad Zahid Md Arip said such assurances should also be backed up with concrete actions by MOH and the government to close any gaps which could lead to leakage of their personal data.

"The government developed the MySejahtera application to help curb the spread of COVID-19, but it will be regrettable if the people's personal data is compromised in the process.

"There should not be a repeat of the handphone episode where despite assurances from telcos and the government that our data was protected, we were still disturbed by scammers. MOH should learn from this," he said when tabling a motion on the MySejahtera application.

Earlier, after the question-and-answer session, Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim allowed the motion submitted by Muhammad Zahid for debate as it met the Standing Order 17 (1) requirements of being specific in nature, of public interest and urgent.

Muhammad Zahid said various concerns had been raised concerning MySejahtera, including the fact that its server is based in Singapore, individuals behind the company managing the application, and the cost of taking over the MySejahtera management which allegedly ran into millions of ringgit.

"Some asked why the private company MySJ Sdn Bhd managing the application did not go through an open tender and what criteria were used to select the company.

"Some others found it strange that key individuals in the previous company KPISoft Sdn Bhd could be in MySJ Sdn Bhd. It means the same faces are in the new company, somewhat like putting new clothes on the same body," he added.

He asked Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and the government to address these concerns and confusion because MOH as an important ministry should not be caught in any controversy.

Clarifications from MOH can also prevent certain quarters from exploiting the MySejahtera issue for political gains, he added.

"The idea to submit this motion came about after the president himself (Rais) expressed his concern that the people's data in the MySejahtera application could be exposed to abuse and manipulation by certain parties," he said.