Malaysia

MySJ can access MySejahtera’s database with MoH permission: Khairy

Minister says this is because company is ‘manager’ of app

Updated 4 years ago · Published on 22 Apr 2022 7:03PM

MySJ can access MySejahtera’s database with MoH permission: Khairy
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he is ready to be called again by the Public Accounts Committee to clarify matters pertaining to MySejahtera. – Bernama pic, April 22, 2022

by Isabelle Leong

PUTRAJAYA – MySJ Sdn Bhd can access MySejahtera app users’ personal data to assist in sorting out issues faced by them, with the permission of the Health Ministry, said Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. 

Khairy said MySJ, a government-appointed special purpose vehicle, must seek consent from the ministry’s officers should they need access to the database.

“They do not have direct access to the database. They must get approval from MoH first.

“Whatever complaints they get as a help desk, whether it’s a representative of the company or anything like that, they must get permission from the MoH officers with them,” he told reporters at Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin here.

Explaining why MySJ is given supervised access to users’ personal data, Khairy said the company is the “manager” of MySejahtera as it “manages and maintains” the app.

He said MySJ had raised several complaints with the ministry, which includes problems with the app’s “Traveller Card” function, as well as the inability to upload vaccine certificates. 

“So MoH said okay, ‘we can give you access’ (to solve these issues),” he explained.

On Tuesday, CodeBlue reported that MySJ is directly involved in providing MySejahtera user support. 

This came after the health portal reported that MySJ’s chief executive officer designate Aiza Azreen Ahmad informed the app’s users to contact her should they face any problems with the app. 

For the record, the ministry has yet to sign a contract with MySJ for the Covid-19 contact tracing app. 

According to a PAC report released last month, senior civil servants summoned before the committee said the government is studying whether it should sign a contract of service with the company that developed MySejahtera to manage the software, or to outright buy the company in order to secure full rights over the app.

The report revealed that the cabinet had decided to transfer ownership of MySejahtera from the app’s developer to MySJ, which was appointed through direct negotiation.

Meanwhile, Khairy said he is ready to be called again by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to clarify matters pertaining to MySejahtera.

PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh had said in a statement yesterday that the government is “unable to ascertain and is confused” on who decided to appoint KPISoft Sdn Bhd, which is now known as Entomo Malaysia Sdn Bhd, to develop and procure the app. 

“I am not sure what he meant when he (Wong) made that statement,” Khairy said today. “My explanation was clear when I was called in to testify on the issue. 

“If they want to call me again, they can do so,” he said. – The Vibes, April 22, 2022

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