KUALA LUMPUR: The government's Mobile Phone Data collection exercise is fraught with the potential for abuse, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
He said the party stands firmly for data accountability and the people's privacy rights.
“MCA is not against technology... we are here to fight abuse,” he told reporters at party headquarters here on Friday (June 13).
He said the party had seven proposals for the government to address the possible pitfalls of the exercise.
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They include transparent anonymisation protocols and the independent audit of such protocols, the implementation of consent mechanisms, and making public consultation mandatory.
He also called for the reform of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) 2010 to cover government agencies.
In addition, data deletion timelines must be enforced, an independent oversight mechanism has to be established, and digital intimidation should be stopped, he added.
It was reported that the government had ordered telcos in Malaysia to hand over detailed records of phone calls and internet logs for the first three months of this year, supposedly for the government’s “Mobile Phone Data” project.
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The records must include information about call logs, IP call records, location, latitude and longitude.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has since explained that this move is to support evidence-based policymaking in two key sectors, namely information and communications technology (ICT) and tourism.
MCMC also stressed that the data will be anonymised before submission and that no individual subscriber can be identified.
However, Dr Wee questioned the need for the government to collect such data, warning that risks of misuse and abuse are present despite MCMC’s assurances.
As such, he urged that the move be called off.
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“The government says it’s for statistics, but when you read the fine print, (it includes) location histories, device identification, call logs and internet access patterns.
"It becomes crystal clear that this is not just data, it’s surveillance,” he said.
He added that MCA is committed to addressing the serious erosion of public trust that could follow this exercise.
“What is the purpose of collecting this data? They tried to explain the logic of it, but you know the explanation cannot hold water.
“Why does the government need to know who the person I’m calling is?” he added.
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He said there had been instances where dissenting voices had been subjected to the actions of the authorities, citing the experiences by social media political commentator “Lim Sian See” and MCA Youth leader Wong Siew Mun.
Dr Wee said Lim’s Facebook page was taken down without any official explanation, while Wong voiced out concerns about the data collection exercise by MCMC and was called up by the police.
He also said MCMC should instead focus on more pressing issues such as cybersecurity and the scourge of online scams, as well as 5G network coverage in the country.
