Azrul Mohd Khalib, chief executive officer of the Galen Centre for Health And Social Policy, was called to Bukit Aman over a post from last year and is being investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 and Section 505(b) of the Penal Code.

On Nov 12, 2020 Mohamad Zain A Hamid, chairperson of the Sepang district disaster management committee, said that police would use MySejahtera registrations to track down 400 residents of Medan 88, Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, Sepang, which was then under an enhanced movement control order (EMCO).

In a tweet the next day, Azrul allegedly called the use of MySejahtera data for such a purpose an abuse. He also encouraged people to be protective of their personal data.

In a statement issued after his meeting with the police today, Azrul defended his tweet and commitment to the issue of data protection.

“Last year, the government made a strong commitment to reassure the public that concerns over their privacy, personal data protection and security were unfounded.

“It was specifically mentioned that the data collected by MySejahtera would be treated as confidential medical data under the Medical Act 1971,” he said.

Azrul added that the people should not be afraid of keeping the authorities on their toes and holding them to the highest standards of integrity.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to raising concerns related to the use, protection and security of personal and medical data, especially during the Covid-19 public health emergency.”

He also said that while the mobile app’s development was well-intentioned, it is not impervious to the vulnerabilities, limitations, and potential for misuse which have been observed in similar apps internationally.

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