THERE has been much debate lately about the MySejahtera and Selangkah apps. It is time to call the shots and debunk myths.
We must remember the facts – the first app to be rolled out was Selangor’s Selangkah. The exact reasons why it was rolled out are as follows:
1. To enable automated/technology-assisted contact tracing;
2. For data analytics, especially prediction on the next outbreak;
3. No question as to privacy concerns – the analytics data was assured to be anonymised;
4. To inform the public on the latest outbreak areas;
5. To assess the risk of an individual, and to inform them of the latest health updates; and,
6. For research purposes – among its achievements was conducting a survey on masks being priced at RM1.
We must also understand that Selangkah was created with the sole intention of giving the Selangor government and Covid-19 task force an idea of where the pandemic is going in the state.
It was extremely disheartening to learn that these efforts were hampered when, on August 18 last year, the National Security Council (NSC) announced that MySejahtera would be made compulsory for all business premises.
Although they later came out and said other apps like Selangkah can be used, the ship had sailed, with some premise owners even reporting that they were fined for having both MySejahtera and Selangkah QR codes.
With the former health minister saying the Selangor task force was kept in the dark over the sharing of data by the ministry, it is no surprise why control of the pandemic in the state remains a challenge till today.
It is sad that in this modern day and age, we are seeing the compulsory MySejahtera being used only as a “capture” for check-ins, going only as far as recording people’s ins and outs.
As we learn day by day why there has been a sudden increase in cases, some professionals have already mentioned the reason: a backlog not only in testing, but case reporting. Among the reasons stated is that contact tracing is done manually, as MySejahtera has limitations.
We have to move from the MySejahtera system to Selangkah, and not the other way around. Though some features of MySejahtera are commendable, like stating an area’s outbreak status, it must be made known that this data is already outdated (a couple of days to weeks old), as it reflects the numbers shared daily – which, in themselves, are outdated due to reporting.
To beat this virus, we must act aptly and utilise all the technological advancements at our disposal – including the utilisation of an app that provides us with good analytics and faster contact tracing, while being consumer-friendly. For this, Selangkah checks all the boxes.
We cannot overtax our healthcare workers by getting them to conduct contact tracing manually using data from the current approved app – it is inhumane!
I strongly urge NSC to immediately send out a message allowing users to scan both apps, so that the analytics can be continued, and efforts against the virus, especially in Selangor, are aided.
We must look beyond political rivalry, and fight the virus as a team. Data-sharing is one of the ways, and the synchronisation of these apps will facilitate this. – The Vibes, January 31, 2021
A concerned nationalist
