TWO months ago, there was huge public uproar over the government’s alleged plan to sell its Covid-19 tracker app to a private firm. Concerns  arose about data privacy and the potential abuse of private health-related data of 38 million registered users whose consent was for the Malaysian government to collect personal data for contact tracing purposes, and not for a third-party private entity.

Although the MySejahtera app has a privacy policy clause that states personal data information is provided with consent and is therefore voluntary, users are somehow “forced” into entering their information, which is made mandatory due to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) that fall under the ambit of Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.

The government has not made public what is the present status of the alleged sale.

The Minister of Health was quoted to have said recently that regardless of the findings from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), MOH will still proceed to sign the contract with the 3rd party. 

Recently, MOH announced that as a proactive measure to stop the spread of infectious diseases, a new feature was added to the MySejahtera app to track cases other than Covid-19, such as rabies, dengue and chicken pox.

Health experts quickly praised this new feature and even proposed that MySejahtera be converted into a database of sorts of users health records since most of the population had the app and its contract tracing feature can be used for future pandemics since the country does not have a centralised management system of the population’s health records and personal health records are not accessible across different healthcare facilities and providers.

Even parents and kindergarten operators praised this new feature as they claimed that with the hotspot identification feature, it would be easier for them to keep their children indoors to contain the spread.

It would be worthwhile to note that the previous Health Minister had, in a written reply in Parliament in November 2020 said that MySejahtera has only successfully detected 4% of total reported Covid-19 cases in Malaysia while additional cases were detected indirectly and that the health authorities still primarily rely on manual contact tracing.

How helpful this hotspot function is when it doesn’t specify the date the app designates an area as a hotspot and the precise location of cases is debatable. Making this information available to the public will obviously help with contact tracing and for users to be more focused in their preventive measures.

Hand foot mouth disease, measles, dengue and rabies has been with us way before Covid 19 and the country has been successfully managing these diseases for decades. How adding this feature into the app to help the public in planning their schedules and movement is debatable. 

As of May 1, 2022 when checking in to premises with the app is no longer mandatory, how many of its registered users really check and review the app regularly? Checking for vaccination appointments? Almost 80% of the adult population have completed their vaccination. Even the threats of the app not showing their vaccination status for those who did not take their booster shots didn’t materialse as they are allowed to go through their normal activities just like any of those who have taken their booster shots.

At the beginning, the government had stated clearly and unequivocally and gave their commitment that the MySejahtera app and the data it collects are to help in managing and mitigating the Covid-19 outbreak. Full stop. 

The rakyat collectively complied and downloaded the app into their mobile phones in full faith based on the commitment from the government that their personal data would not be misused or misapplied for any other purpose other than for managing and mitigating the Covid pandemic.

That objective and purpose has not changed unless it was decided otherwise and not revealed publicly.

The government must adhere and keep to its commitments. 

The public should hold the government to its commitments. And most importantly, the consent that each registered user gave when they registered for this app was specifically for the same objective and purpose.

Covid-19 and possibly all subsequent variants will stay with us, possibly forever. Thus, if the app is to be retained, it should be retained solely for this stated objective and purpose and nothing else.

If the government wishes to retain this app for future use for other infectious diseases, it should seek consultation from the general public for its original intention to be amended and revised. 

This new feature and possibly more features added in the near future are probably done to sway public opinion for this app to be retained for future use.

If the public were to support this app to be retained for future use in its amended or revised form, the users will have no right to complain in the future if any 3rd party or otherwise are given access and commercialise the data of all its registered users as their “consent” is deemed to have already been given for revision and amendment.

The objective and purpose of the app is noble and served its purpose in helping the government in managing and mitigating the Covid outbreak. But the government must be held accountable for their prior and principal commitment. 

Any proposal to revise or amend its objective and purpose must be done sincerely and with full transparency and disclosure made to the public before it is undertaken.

Inserting new features to sway public opinion clamouring for it to be retained without first seeking feedback from the public is downright immoral and unethical.

If the rakyat were to allow the government to proceed and amend / revise it in this way, it will only embolden the government to continue to disregard public opinion and consent in the future.

The rakyat should not just shrug their shoulders and walk away as with all past transgressions and forget about this episode.

This concerns the personal details and the safety of each and every one of you. It is your right to demand and consent to how your personal details should be used and not at the discretion of 3rd parties. – May 8, 2022.

*FLK reads The Malaysian Insight
 

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.