No personal data sought from telcos, says Fahmi
KUALA LUMPUR: Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is not seeking any personal data of users from telecommunications companies.
He said MCMC's recent request to telcos was for anonymised data to support evidence-based policymaking, including for network infrastructure improvements.
The data does not contain information that allows anyone to identify individuals.
"The data is being collected for the Statistics Department (DOSM)," he said, according to Bernama.
"It does not contain any personal information, but rather focuses on trends so that we can gather more detailed information about the quality, level of participation, and number of users in a particular subdistrict or district.
"Currently, much of the information on the telecommunications sector is still too general," he told reporters at the Lembah Pantai Umno division's korban event.
He said more detailed data would allow the government to better evaluate the needs of the people and reduce the digital gap more effectively.
Fahmi said the government has changed its approach from providing general information to Covered Populated Areas (COPA).
"So we want to ensure that with the data collected under DOSM, more planning and policies can be evidence-based, leading to greater benefits for the people," he said.
Fahmi said the decision was made after MCMC, DOSM, and telcos discussed the matter in a series of workshops since 2023.
"So discussions have been ongoing for quite some time, and there is no issue. In fact, I was informed that telco companies will not provide any information containing personal data.
"Only anonymised data will, as far as possible, be processed by the telco companies themselves," he said.
Previously, MCMC clarified that no Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from telcos had been accessed, processed, or disclosed, following a report by South China Morning Post that the government had requested telcos to submit detailed records of calls and internet use for the first quarter of 2025.
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