MOH: MySejahtera not for spying

As of Nov 18, the app recorded 1.7 billion cumulative check-ins. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry (MOH) has debunked claims that the MySejahtera app is being used to spy on citizens.

It said the app’s only purpose was to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A ministry official was responding to a viral video which claimed recently that MySejahtera’s purpose isn’t just for contact tracing, but also to allow the government to spy on the public.

The ministry clarified that other than contact tracing, the app is also used to offer the public critical updates.

Previously, MOH had conducted contact tracing manually through interviews with patients to trace their movements. But with the app, the ministry has been able to obtain information faster and more accurately.

The official gave the assurance that MOH had adhered to the global standards for data privacy, the Medical Act 1971, Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and Personal Data Protection Act 2010.

“Contact tracing apps all over the world like MySejahtera require multiple permissions from device owners,” the official said.

Permissions such as “Access Coarse Location” and “Access Fine Location” are used for the hotspot tracker which lets users find out about locations that are high risk for the spread of Covid-19.

The permission “Call Phone” is used to connect users to the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) hotline, while “Internet” is used for online features within the app.

Finally, the “Manage Document” feature allows users to upload their profile photo and download infographic from the app.

The personal data collected belongs to the MOH and is managed by the National Cyber Security Agency and National Security Council, the official said, adding that Malaysia was one of the earliest countries to adopt digital technology for contact tracing, which has won it accolades.

Recently, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said most of the 9,167 Covid-19 cases were identified through the app.

As of Nov 18, he said the app had recorded 1.7 billion cumulative check-ins, with an average of 15 million check-ins a day.