SOCIAL media users are concerned about their privacy after the government decided to sell the MySejahtera app to a private company.

Twitter is atwitter with upset users, who claimed that the move will compromise public data collected via check-ins and registrations on the app.

“They wanna sell MySejahtera to a private company? It has almost all the sensitive and personal data of Malaysians,” said @gorweijigeouss.

One user even highlighted the app’s various ways to collect user data.

“Not just the name (and) phone number, those are normal. For the past three years, all the data – you go where, you do what, you have shopping and activity behaviours – is in MySejahtera. Remember, this data is all very valuable. Data is the new oil,” said @frederikwolter.

User @farhannnM suggested the app is a tool for a bigger scam.

“Data privacy and security means nothing in Malaysia it seems. MySejahtera is just a tool for a bigger scam,” he tweeted.

“MySejahtera has been sold to a private entity, what can we do? Can I report it to police? Our data is in there. It feels like we’ve all run out of secrets, where will people know later,” said @localrkyt.

“We might get scammers calling instead of LHDN and kastam. ‘Hello. We have a record stating you have not settled the SOP violation fine.’ Then proceed to say they checked our MySejahtera record…” said @uwaisaiman2902.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said a Public Accounts Commission (PAC) hearing raised questions about the sale of the app to a private company.

The cabinet decided to give up control of the app during a meeting on November 26 last year, he added.

“The cabinet told the Health Ministry to appoint MySJ Sdn Bhd to take over the MySejahtera app by direct negotiation.

“But in December, PAC recommended the government take over the operation of the app without incurring any additional cost, given that it has become an integral part of the national health system.”

Anwar said ministry officers who testified in front of PAC claimed that MySJ is not related to KPISoft, the company that built the app as a CSR initiative.

KPISoft has since changed its name to Entomo. The claim that there is no relation between KPISoft/Entomo and MySJ must be scrutinised, he added.

He said two KPISoft co-founders own 71.2% of MySJ, and to say that there is no link between the two companies is inaccurate.

“Under an open tender, these facts will be scrutinised by the government and public.

“In the case of direct negotiation, it appears to resemble a pattern of rewarding companies and individuals that have political and business links to the ruling government.”

One social media user suggested Putrajaya completely do away with the app.

“I don’t think we need MySejahtera anymore in this situation. Because other countries don’t use the ‘check-in’ to trace where the virus came from?” said @OmgItsSaraa_.

“In this situation, we can’t detect the virus anymore. It is anywhere. There is no need to detect where the virus is.”

User @Adbkyrie even joked that “MySejahtera is no longer sejahtera (peaceful)”. – March 27, 2022.