While HIDE was an interesting initiative, Anwar said it was important for the people to be informed about the methodology used to determine potential hotspots.

Anwar also said the system’s model for data collection should have been independently assessed by a panel of experts before its launch.

“If it is simply introduced without any transparency, then its legitimacy will be disputed by the public. This is what has happened,” he said in a Facebook live event today.

He added that the sudden order for a three-day closure of premises flagged as potential hotspots had further impacted businesses and livelihoods, instead of helping to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Commenting on the inconsistent statements from different ministries on lockdown measures, Anwar asked what had happened to the country’s leadership.

“Where is the prime minister at this time, when the people are feeling uneasy? Where is his voice, where are his clarifications?

“Why aren’t there any meetings among the different ministries?” he questioned.

He also noted that Putrajaya had initially aimed to vaccinate up to 75,000 people daily under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, but had fallen well short of its target.

Coordinating ministry Khairy Jamaluddin previously said in January that the 75,000 mark was only the government’s first target, with the next being 150,000 vaccinations a day, depending on supply.

Anwar questioned why the government had revealed such ambitious plans when it was unable to guarantee an adequate supply of vaccines, even after a year of dealing with the pandemic.

“Now we are vaccinating 25,000 people per day, with a total of one million people so far. If it was based on January’s trajectory, it should have been over five million by now,” he said.