KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians can be assured that their data obtained by MySejahtera is secure and the application is entirely owned by the government, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

       “The data obtained by the app is protected and used only for the Health Ministry’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic.

       “Every data and information obtained through MySejahtera is the property of the government and its security and confidentiality are guaranteed.

       “I hope people will continue to use the MySejahtera app without hesitation.

       “The confidentiality of public data is guaranteed and the ministry will always ensure this aspect is not compromised,” he told the Dewan Negara yesterday.

       Khairy said before the government launched the MySejahtera app on April 20, 2020, the National Security Council entered into a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with KPISoft Malaysia Sdn Bhd with terms agreed to by both sides.

       “Among the key terms contained in this NDA is that the ownership of any data and information obtained through the use of the MySejahtera application is the full and absolute property of the government.

       “The usage and management of MySejahtera’s data is subject to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, Medical Act 1971 as well as international standards,” he said.

       “KPISoft is only in charge of managing the application and does not own the data.

       “Data transactions are uploaded to a cloud server network that is not based overseas, but at the AIMS Data Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

       “The data can only be accessed for MySejahtera’s usage as well as support applications that are related to the Covid-19 pandemic only,” said Khairy.

       “The data is automatically erased from the system after 90 days.

       “The system will delete the data after 90 days. It will carry out a ‘hard delete’, which means that data deleted cannot be retrieved,” he said.

       On the ownership of MySejahtera, Khairy explained that the app was developed through a software for service concept by KPISoft under a corporate social responsibility agreement with the government in 2020.

       He added that not a single sen was paid to KPISoft, now known as Entomo, by the government so far.

       “Upon the expiration of the CSR period, the Cabinet on March 31, 2021, agreed that the services of MySejahtera be continued.

       “A steering committee chaired by myself and various stakeholders was set up for the purpose of holding negotiations with the company operating MySejahtera.

       “Therefore, the issue of ‘the sale of the MySejahtera application to the private sector’ does not arise.

       “Instead, the Cabinet decided last November for the ownership of MySejahtera to be transferred completely to the Health Ministry,” he said.

       “The government is in the final stages of completing the negotiations and is hoping to achieve a win-win situation on the matter.

       “It will be much lower than the alleged RM300mil amount that has been talked about,” he said.

       Khairy noted that the MySejahtera app had been vital in the ministry’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that there is still a need to use it even after the country enters the endemic phase.

       “However, the ministry is prepared to remove the need to conduct MySejahtera check-ins after monitoring the Covid-19 situation following Malaysia’s reopening on April 1,” he said.

       Khairy revealed that he is willing to testify before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over the procurement of the MySejahtera app, adding that his ministry would also give full cooperation to the PAC.

       “We have nothing to hide,” Khairy said when winding up his ministerial replies raised by 13 senators during the debate on MySejahtera.