THE Health Ministry must explain what has happened to the hotspot identification for dynamic engagement (HIDE) system which is due to be replaced by the new heightened alert system that triggers restrictions at early signs of a Covid-19 outbreak, former Pakatan Harapan government officials said.

Former health minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and his deputy Dr Lee Boon Chye said Putrajaya should make it clear if the HIDE system is still in use and if so, for what purpose.

HIDE was introduced as an early warning mechanism to identify potential Covid-19 hotspots. But it was criticised by commercial and public premises owners for disrupting business as they were required to close immediately despite only being a “potential” hotspot.

The HIDE system that was unveiled by Khairy Jamaluddin in May when he was the Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) Minister. In August, he became Health Minister when new prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob unveiled a new cabinet.

Last week, Khairy Jamaluddin, said the Health Ministry will introduce a heightened alert system to detect early signs of a Covid-19 outbreak.

The system will direct movement restrictions or limits on economic activities not amounting to a lockdown be taken.

Dzulkefly and Lee said there had been no communication from the government on what had happened to HIDE.

When HIDE was launched in May, it listed more than 100 potential infections hotspots, which included shopping malls and LRT stations. Their sudden closures caused disruptions and inconvenience to the public and operators.

No list has been released since then, leading to questions of whether the system was still in use.

In August, Khairy said the HIDE system was still in use but that the data weren’t available to the public. 

Heightened alert system must be specific.

Dzulkefly, who leads the Selangor Covid-19 task force, welcomed the heightened alert system as an important tool to serve Malaysia as it moves towards Covid-19 endemicity. 

“If the heightened alert system – a system leveraging on predictive technology, BDA (big data analytics), and Al, is to be reintroduced as a mechanism to simplify standard operating procedures (SOPs) across different sectors, and to improve compliance and response interventions – l think it is most appropriate and aptly needed, particularly as we move into endemicity.

“Countries like Singapore and the UK have long introduced a traffic-light early warning system as a means of risk communication and response to the undulating surge cycles of covid-19 incidence trends,” the Kuala Selangor MP said. 

Dzulkefly said Selangor had pioneered such a tool called the Selamat index.

He said the Selamat index took into consideration the trend of infections and trajectory of outbreaks, and proposed a set of recommended actions across four key sectors: education, essential industries and workplaces, place of worship, and mobility. 

Dzulkefly said the Heightened Alert System or any other equivalent tools or system would be useful in simplifying SOPs, improving compliance and monitoring, and providing much needed clarity on expected set of actions from the community. 

Meanwhile, Lee urged the government to be more specific with its data reporting. 

He said if the heightened alert system uses the predictive AI, then it could take preemptive measures to control the transmission of the virus. 

“The HIDE system was not specific. So it didn’t help to guide the ministry to advise people correctly on where to go and what to or not to do.

“I do hope that the Heightened Alert System has got something more specific and that it would give more precise, accurate data so that pre-emptive measures could be taken. 

“It should be predictive in nature. They can have some AI system that can do analytics and pick up surges in some localities before it becomes obvious. 

“So, before there is a surge in a particular place, use the AI to detect and alert the ministry so that they can take pre-emptive measures to introduce more stringent control, including imposing EMCO in those areas, rather than waiting for the number (of cases) to become very obvious,” the Gopeng MP said.

Lee also urged the government to make full use of data collected, adding that even the data from MySejahtera could be incorporated into the new system.

“Over the past two years, they have not been making full use of the data which they have collected. 

“Actually, the data in MySejahtera should be enough. It is a question of whether they have people who are actually mining the data, doing analytics on them and connecting the dots.”

Citing the usage of such systems as a way forward, Lee said if the system is designed well, then it would prevent another round of total lockdown.

“If the system is well designed, it should (be able to prevent lockdowns) because if it can identify certain pockets of outbreaks, then we can prevent it from spiralling out of control.

He also predicted the pandemic to last for almost another year.

“While this is the way moving forward, I think this pandemic is going to be with us a bit longer. I’m predicting another six to nine months at least,” he said. 

Khairy on Friday said the heightened alert system was being fine-tuned. – November 29, 2021.