The Malaysian Insight

MALAYSIA will review the mandatory MySejahtera check-ins after borders reopen on Friday, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He told reporters today that the government “needs to see the impact of international travel on infections after borders are reopened on April 1”.

He was commenting on the Malaysian Medical Association’s (MMA) suggestion that check-ins be discontinued as they are no longer useful for contact-tracing.

Putrajaya previously announced that the country will begin its transition into the endemic phase on April 1, and that its borders will be reopened for international travel.

The isolation policy has also been changed, with fully vaccinated folk no longer needing to quarantine.

MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai said in light of this, MySejahtera check-ins have lost their earlier usefulness.

“As we are transitioning into the endemic phase, it is time we consider a stop to the scanning of MySejahtera each time we enter (a venue).

“With the (high) number of coronavirus cases, contact-tracing will not be adopted on a wide scale as it will not yield the expected results.”

Khairy earlier this week said the government has no plans to discontinue check-ins.

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan and DAP Youth chief Dr Kelvin Yii both said the government should review or stop the use of the function.

On the government’s procurement of the app from its developer, Khairy said negotiations are being finalised.

“We hope to finalise the contract (between the government and Entomo (M) Sdn Bhd) in a month or so as talks have taken some time.”

On MySejahtera’s purchase price or that it is owned by a Singaporean company, Khairy said he will answer them in Dewan Negara tomorrow.

“As for the data (recorded by the app), it will be moved to a secure government server,” he added.

MySejahtera’s development and its procurement by the government are under scrutiny after it was revealed that the app was developed without a proper contract and on a corporate social responsibility basis.

Its proprietary and software rights were then sold to private firm MySJ Sdn Bhd, with whom the government is in direct negotiations. – March 30, 2022.