Should the MySejahtera app be uninstalled permanently?

AT the height of the pandemic, the MySejahtera application became the conduit between the government and the rakyat.

The app became an essential tool for the government to monitor and track the ferocity of the virus as well as update the rakyat on the latest health situation in the country.

However, as the country enters into the endemic stage, a pertinent question arises - should Malaysians continue to rely on the app or permanently delete the app out of their smartphones.

Is the health situation safe enough in the country to warrant such a decision?

Situation stable under the endemic phase

The COVID-19 situation in the country has long stabilised and is under control by the health authorities.

Cases are languishing at the below 4,000 a day level and deaths are becoming fewer and fewer.

Almost all Malaysian adults and children have been vaccinated. Do we still need MySejahtera?

Should Malaysia emulate Australia which dismantled it's CovidSafe app last week?

The Australian government had asked its people to delete it as it has wasted taxpayers money of more than A$22 million.

MySejahtera has strayed from its objective?

On the onset, the MySejahtera app was developed to be the communication tool between the government specifically the Health Ministry and the rakyat.

MySejahtera provides the rakyat with the latest updates and the government conveys to the rakyat with pandemic-related information and become an early warning system.

However, MySejahhtera which was developed KPI Soft Sdn Bhd might no longer be relevant.

It's role in the pandemic chain has become a topic of discussion when it rumours were rife that MySejahtera did not belong to the government.

It is understood that KPISoft is now known as Entomo Sdn Bhd and the situation has become a bit complicated much to the chagrin of the Health Ministry.

Entomo directors comprise corporate figures as revealed by the Public Accounts Committee.

The Health Ministry or more popularly known as KKM or short for Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia may be dazed and confused having "lost" its essential app to combat the virus.

It is understood that the Health Ministry had wanted to make the app its own but faced hurdles as the intellectual property rights of the app is valued at some RM338.6 million now parked under MySejahtera Sdn Bhd.

Many would realise by now that the "tussle" for the MySejahtera app emerged late last year.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin however said in March that the MySejahtera app still belongs to the government and the rakyat should not be worried.

Personal data must be protected

Since 2020, the app has amassed a total database of some 38 million people with 80 million daily check-ins.

The immense wealth in data which MySejahtera has in its possession is invaluable comparable only to the National Registration Department.

These include phone numbers, addresses and email addresses.

Thus, it is not surprising that the government insisted that the personal data in MySejahtera is secured amid speculation that it has been sold off.

Hence it is crucial that whichever party is in possession of the confidential data, must protect it at all cost.

The owner be it the private developer or the government must ensure that the highly confidential data does not fall into the wrong hands. 

If parties concerned are unable to resolve this situation, perhaps it’s best for the rakyat to delete the MySejahtera app and discard it from their phones. – DagangNews.com