
Telcos reassure public no personal data shared with MCMC
CelcomDigi, U Mobile, Telekom Malaysia and Maxis stress that only anonymised data — without any personally identifiable information — will be shared with MCMC. (Freepik pic)
PETALING JAYA : Telco companies have reaffirmed their commitment to protecting customer data following the sharing of mobile phone data (MPD) for official statistical purposes with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
In separate statements, CelcomDigi, U Mobile, Telekom Malaysia and Maxis stressed that only anonymised data — without any personally identifiable information — will be shared with MCMC.
CelcomDigi emphasised its strict adherence to existing data protection laws, including the Communications and Multimedia Act and the Personal Data Protection Act, adding that customer trust remains at the core of its operations.
The telco acknowledged the ongoing discussions and concerns raised by the public over the MCMC initiative and said it is working closely with the commission to support the government's efforts without compromising the integrity of customer data.
'At all times, we operate under tight security protocols and in compliance with the relevant data protection laws and regulations, with stringent limitations on any personal identifiable information,' it said.
U Mobile, meanwhile, affirmed that customer data and privacy are its top priority, with policies and processes in place to ensure any shared data is anonymised, aggregated and fully compliant with applicable data protection laws and regulations.
'We are aware of the objectives of the initiative and are committed to working with MCMC in a manner that upholds the highest standards of data governance,' it said.
It noted that when the company does share its mobile phone data, at no point will personally identifiable information be revealed or processed.
U Mobile remains committed to safeguarding customer privacy and ensuring full regulatory compliance in all aspects of data management, it added.
TM also clarified that the mobile phone data submitted to MCMC is fully anonymised and does not contain any personally identifiable information.
Data submission is carried out under strict governance and security protocols, with full compliance to applicable company policies as well as national laws and regulatory requirements, it said in a statement.
'TM remains fully committed to safeguarding the safety and privacy of customer data with responsibility and integrity,' it noted.
Meanwhile, Maxis also said MCMC will have no access to personally identifiable information at any stage.
It added that controls and processes are in place to ensure customers' personal data will not be compromised.
'All data is anonymised by Maxis and processed in an aggregated manner within a secure environment, in full compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2010,' it said in a statement.
'Maxis remains fully committed to protecting the data of all our customers.'
On Friday, MCMC clarified that its collection of mobile phone data from mobile network operators does not involve the access, processing or disclosure of any personally identifiable information.
MCMC said the mobile phone data will be used strictly to generate official statistics to support evidence-based policymaking in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector and the tourism sector.
Earlier today, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil assured the public that MCMC is not collecting any personal information from telecommunications companies.
He said MCMC's request for phone companies to hand over data on all mobile phone calls, made from January to March, is a Cabinet decision aimed at collecting data for the statistics department, with the goal of creating better policies and plans.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Builders' body urges govt to reconsider SST on construction sector
The Master Builders Association Malaysia said the construction industry was already subject to multiple layers of taxation across various aspects of project execution. PETALING JAYA : The Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) has called on the government to reconsider expanding the sales and service tax (SST) to the construction industry. In a statement, MBAM president Oliver Wee said the construction industry was already subject to multiple layers of taxation across various aspects of project execution, including building materials, labour and equipment. Wee said introducing a new tax – especially with the potential for retrospective application – would seriously disrupt existing contractual obligations, budgets and project timelines. 'Given the critical role the construction industry plays in national development and economic stability, MBAM respectfully appeals to the government to reconsider the imposition of SST on construction services,' said Wee. 'It is essential to maintain a stable, predictable, and sustainable operating environment for the industry to continue supporting Malaysia's growth and development.' Wee said if the implementation of the 6% SST was 'inevitable', MBAM was of the view that the rate be reduced from 6% to 4% due to the large contract values in the industry. He suggested that the SST should only be levied on the service portion of the contract value, with the non-service portion – including building materials and other hardware – to be exempted. Wee also hoped Putrajaya would consider postponing the introduction of the SST on the construction industry as the July 1 implementation date provided insufficient lead time for the industry to respond. He said a reasonable grace period must be granted to allow all stakeholders to make necessary adjustments and financial preparations. The finance ministry yesterday said an expanded sales and service tax would be implemented from July 1, which will see a sales tax of 5%-10% imposed on selected and non-essential goods. The service tax will be expanded to include new services such as construction, rental or leasing, finance, private healthcare, education and beauty.


Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
EPF clarifies it bought 0.07% in 99 Speed Mart, and not 5%
The EPF now has a 5.02% stake in 99 Speed Mart, making it a substantial shareholder. (99 Speedmart pic) PETALING JAYA : The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) clarified it only bought a 0.07% stake in 99 Speed Mart Retail Holdings Bhd in its latest acquisition last week. In a rather embarrassing development, EPF issued an 'amended announcement' in a filing with Bursa Malaysia today stating it bought six million shares in the minimart chain operator on June 4. In its bourse filing yesterday, the provident fund announced it acquired 421.79 million shares, or a 5.02% stake, on June 4. Today's filing implies that EPF had previously accumulated a total of 4.95% equity interest in the country's largest operator of grocery stores. The acquisitions were made through Citigroup Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd. The latest purchase of 0.07% upped its stake to 5.02%, beyond the 5% threshold, thus making EPF a substantial shareholder. 99 Speed Mart's single largest shareholder is its founder and CEO Lee Thiam Wah, who controls 79.68% equity interest in the company. The group was granted a waiver from the Securities Commission Malaysia from having to meet the minimum 25% public spread requirement for its listing exercise. 99 Speed Mart ended the day up 9 sen or 4.3% at RM2.19, valuing it at RM18.4 billion. Its shares have dropped 11% year to date. Despite that, the stock has jumped almost 33% since the company was listed last September at an IPO price of RM1.65. The listing was Malaysia's largest in seven years and catapulted the wheelchair-bound Lee to billionaire status. Forbes ranks him at No 8 in its Malaysia's 50 Richest list, with a net worth of US$4.1 billion (RM17.37 billion). Lee, 61, who contracted polio as an infant, started his entrepreneurial journey by selling snacks by the roadside as a teenager. 99 Speed Mart kicked off its first quarter ended March 31 (Q1 FY2025) with a robust 7.5% rise in net profit to RM143.18 million despite rising uncertainty in the Malaysian economy. Its revenue grew at a similar pace, rising 7.7% to RM2.61 billion from RM2.43 billion in Q1 FY2024, driven by stronger retail sales and network expansion.


Malay Mail
4 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Ringgit weakens as US-China trade talks continue in London
KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — The ringgit depreciated against the US dollar today as market attention remained fixed on the second day of United States-China trade discussions in London. At 6 pm, the local note fell to 4.2360/2420 versus the greenback, down from Monday's close of 4.2290/2345. UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors Sdn Bhd head of investment research Mohd Sedek Jantan said across broader markets, foreign exchange volatility is gradually subsiding, and in subdued trading conditions, investors appear to be allocating capital towards currencies offering elevated yields. Meanwhile, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid noted that the ringgit continues to maintain its range-bound trade as uncertainties remain. 'The US Dollar Index (DXY) appears to be gaining some strength today, rising by 0.24 per cent to 99.174 points as fear over a slowing economy receded following the nonfarm payrolls (NFP) results last Friday and optimism over trade negotiations between the US and China,' he told Bernama. At the close, the ringgit traded mostly higher against a basket of major currencies. It rose against the Japanese yen to 2.9270/9314 from Monday's 2.9344/2.9384 and strengthened versus the British pound to 5.7152/7233 from 5.7392/7466, but fell vis-à-vis the euro to 4.8354/8422 from 4.8316/8379 yesterday. The local currency traded lower against its Asean peers. It fell versus the Singapore dollar to 3.2932/2981 from 3.2908/2953 at Monday's close and declined against the Thai baht to 12.9712/9955 from 12.9414/9642. The ringgit slid vis-à-vis the Philippine peso to 7.58/7.60 from 7.57/7.59 yesterday and eased against the Indonesian rupiah to 260.2/260.7 from 259.5/260.0 previously. — Bernama