Govt collecting phone data to boost network coverage
PETALING JAYA: The government is harnessing mobile phone data from network operators to help the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) strengthen mobile network infrastructure and close connectivity gaps, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said yesterday.
The data will be used to drive evidence-based policies, offering granular insights into service quality and user density across districts.
'It's a Cabinet-backed move, and the Communications Ministry is fully on board.
'The data contains no personal details, just trends. It helps us understand where services are lagging and where upgrades are needed,' Fahmi said at a press conference yesterday.
Fahmi said the initiative will sharpen decision-making and support long-term digital development.
He was addressing public concerns over potential privacy risks following reports of the government's move.
Fahmi reiterated that the data shared by telecos with government agencies will not contain any personally identifiable information, contrary to public fears.
'This is a joint decision by telcos and MCMC, involving agencies such as DOSM, and developed through a series of workshops held since 2023.
'Discussions have been ongoing for some time without issues. I've been informed that telcos will not share any data containing users' personal details. Only anonymised data will be provided.'
Fahmi said this during the Korban Perdana Perpaduan Umno Lembah Pantai 2025 event, where 15 cattle were slaughtered at Kampung Pasir.
The government initiative has sparked uproar among the public and many voiced their dissatisfaction and concerns over privacy on social media platforms.
'Most of my info on govt webs and apps got leaked. How are we to trust them with more of our data?' wrote user @aiden_crayden.
Another user, @dk_derick72 described it as a 'slippery slope'. He said data privacy and protection laws must take precedence over unnecessary or unfounded government requests.
On Friday, MCMC responded to the concerns. It clarifed that the data collected would be used strictly for generating official statistics to support evidence-based policymaking in two key areas, information and communications technology (ICT) and tourism.
'The data requested is anonymised and contains no personally identifiable information.
'The operators may either process the data within their own secure environment and submit only the anonymised, aggregated output to MCMC, or if lacking
in-house capabilities, submit the anonymised data directly to MCMC for processing.
'In both scenarios, no individual subscriber can be identified through the data collected,' MCMC said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Fahmi, who is also Lembah Pantai MP and a PKR central committee member, expressed hope that other constituencies would emulate the collaboration between PKR and Umno in Lembah Pantai to foster mutual understanding and address issues facing the Madani government.
'Moving forward, parties within the unity government, particularly in Lembah Pantai, will aim to organise joint activities to build rapport, strengthen ties and address shared concerns.
'It is a catalyst for our colleagues in other constituencies to recognise the strength of our unity government in tackling challenges,' he added.
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