AN opposition lawmaker has voiced fears Sarawak’s association with Chinese multi-national firm Huawei on the state’s proposed electronic bill payment engine, Sarawak Pay, could pose a national security threat.

DAP Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang, in debating on the Sarawak Multimedia Authority Bill, said Huawei is considered a threat to national cyber security by foreign governments such as Singapore, Australia, United States and India.

“These countries are resisting the infiltration of Huawei’s technologies into their national infrastructure.

“What is of particular concern is the speculation Huawei is owned by the Chinese government,” she said.

Chang said if Sarawak proceeded with the move, “there is a possibility we might find our personal and government data in the hands of the Chinese government”.

The bill tabled by the Second Finance Minister Wong Soon Koh, was to establish a body that would assist the state government to transform the state to a digital economy.

This in turn would spur economic growth by adopting better means of business processes through systems such as e-payment through Sarawak Pay and e-commence.

Wong, who is also the minister of international trade and e-commerce, said the establishment of the authority would not contravene any federal laws regulating telecommunications or multi media.

PKR Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, said the state has to look at the Ninth Schedule Legislative Lists List I of the Federal Constitution, particularly the Federal List Item 10 that among others spells the jurisdiction on communications and transport, posts and telecommunications, wireless, broadcasting and television.

See, a lawyer, said the jurisdiction over these sub-items are given to Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

He said the bill is “clearly heading into the collision course” with the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, or Act 588 and its subsidiary, which MCMC used to regulate the converging communications and multimedia industries.

The bill, however, was passed. – November 8, 2017.