KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Kuching Youth chairman Nicholas Wung has voiced strong concerns over the recent directive by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) requiring telecommunications companies to submit mobile call records from the first quarter of 2024.
The directive, issued under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, mandates compliance from service providers, with potential penalties including fines or imprisonment. However, the move has sparked a wave of public concern regarding privacy rights, data security, and possible misuse of information.
Despite Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil’s assurance that the data collection does not involve personal or surveillance-related details, Wung said the public remains unconvinced.
“People are worried that the government could exploit this directive to monitor dissenting voices or suppress freedom of expression,” he said.
He cited reports from organisations such as Human Rights Watch, which have flagged the misuse of the Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act to limit speech and public gatherings in recent years.
Wung believes that the current directive risks becoming another tool of state surveillance.
He also stressed the sensitive nature of mobile phone data, which may include personal identifiers, banking details, contact lists, and private media.
While telecom companies have claimed that only anonymised metadata would be submitted, Wung warned that the threat of data breaches or misuse remains.
“If such databases are compromised, individuals could be exposed to identity theft, harassment, or worse.”
Wung is now calling on MCMC to clarify several key points: whether the commission has an adequate legal basis for the data request, if the directive was subject to independent oversight, and whether users have been adequately informed and given the option to consent.
“The public deserves full transparency, and MCMC must explain the rationale, the safeguards, and whether there is any form of accountability in place.”
