SELANGOR must reveal more about its free insurance scheme that has automatically signed up all residents, activist-cum-politician Abdul Razak Ismail said.

He said there were still many unanswered questions about Insurans Hayat Selangor (Insan) despite Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari’s denial that there was a data leak involving Selangor residents under the life insurance scheme.

The former secretary of the PKR veterans’ group Otai Reformis 1998 said the numbers in the scheme just did not add up.

“The scheme was introduced last November and to date, it has been said six million people have registered in the scheme. But what is mind-boggling is that only 44 people have made claims. That doesn’t sound right, does it?” said Razak, who is also Green Party secretary-general.

He was referring to a report by Sinar Harian, which claimed that 44 people have claimed from the Insan scheme as of August.

Razak also panned the insurance company, AmGeneral Insurance, over the alleged leak of personal data of millions of Selangor residents registered in the scheme.

He said many were registered without their consent.

“Amiruddin said the data were based on the information on the Election Commission’s (EC) electoral roll, but data on the roll only show your name and your identification number. There is no address on it,” he said.

“Therefore, how do you sign up for the insurance policy if the company does not know where you live? And how can a person claim this insurance if he doesn’t know he is insured?”

Razak has lodged a report with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia over the alleged data breach.

Razak said Amiruddin could not just brush off the alleged data breach without giving a clear explanation on how the scheme works.

“Do the people in Sabak Bernam or Tanjung Sepat know about the scheme or if they are insured? We living in urban areas may have access to the internet, but what about the people in the rural areas?

“Therefore, the Selangor government has to tell the people. Denying data leak is not good enough,” he said.

Police reports

On August 23, Amiruddin denied allegations of data leak or misuse under the state’s life insurance scheme that went viral on social media.

He said the data in question were public data that can be purchased, adding that no profit was made in the implementation of the policy or funds raised to finance the recent state election campaign.

He said he would ask the operator of the Insan system to explain the pre-registration process, which was done to facilitate the implementation of the policy.

Eight police reports have been lodged over the matter.

The Personal Data Protection Department has also launched an investigation into the alleged leak or misuse of data related to the insurance scheme.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the department had full authority under the law to carry out investigations into any incident related to the leak, misuse or compromise of personal data.

On Monday, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin questioned Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s apparent silence over the controversy, urging him to clarify the matter.

He said Anwar, who is also finance minister, had remained mum over the issue.

“I find it weird that the finance minister has kept silent when an infringement has clearly taken place,” he said in a statement.

Hamzah said Anwar must explain why a private company was appointed to manage the programme instead of Selgate, a Selangor government-linked company that has the financial means and expertise to handle such an initiative. – September 6, 2023.