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From Sureswaran Ramadass
Recent discussions surrounding the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) mobile phone data programme have stirred public debate, raising questions over privacy, cybersecurity and the government’s role in data stewardship.
As someone deeply involved in nation-building in the areas of network infrastructure and cybersecurity, I feel it is crucial to bring technical clarity to the Malaysian public regarding this issue and separating speculation from substantiated fact.
Understanding nature of the data
First and foremost, the data collected under the programme is aggregated, anonymised and devoid of any personally identifiable information.
The data only provides generalised metadata such as signal strength, network usage trends, location area codes and other non-personal metrics that can help the regulator assess mobile network performance, digital divide issues and emergency response readiness.
To equate this programme with intrusive surveillance is technically inaccurate and misleading.
The data points collected are no different, if not significantly less granular, than the metadata routinely collected by global platforms like Google, Apple, Meta and numerous other mobile apps for analytics, service optimisation and targeted advertising.
Legal and ethical boundaries remain intact
MCMC, in line with the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the Personal Data Protection Act 2010, operates within strict regulatory boundaries.
This particular programme does not collect names, phone numbers, call logs, browsing history or message contents.
Generally, the participating mobile network operators are very cautious on sharing their data, yet have had no issues in working closely with MCMC on this project.
Furthermore, access to the metadata is limited to selected analytical tools within the commission, with no commercial or third-party exposure.
This makes the dataset fundamentally different from the kind of data typically vulnerable to misuse or monetisation in commercial tech ecosystems.
Strategic importance in a digital nation
From a technical and policy standpoint, the mobile phone data programme is strategically very important for national digital infrastructure planning.
With Malaysia advancing towards wider 5G deployment and smart city initiatives, regulators require real-time, evidence-based insights into mobile coverage, device density and population mobility to guide resource allocation, spectrum planning and emergency readiness.
For instance, during natural disasters or public health crises, such data can significantly improve our authorities’ responses, enabling faster and more targeted assistance being provided to the needy.
Several advanced economies, including South Korea, Finland and Estonia, have long adopted similar anonymised data programmes providing effective public benefits and without any complaints about infringing on personal privacy.
Addressing the misinformation ecosystem
It is unfortunate that a narrative of distrust has taken root, largely fuelled by misinformation and a poor understanding of network-level data analytics.
In the absence of context, the public is led to fear a “surveillance state”, even when the technical facts clearly indicate that no such risk exists.
MCMC’s proactive move to engage cybersecurity experts, telcos and the public through open communication is the correct path forward.
Transparency, ongoing stakeholder dialogue and third-party audits should be encouraged – not to defend against wrongdoing, but to reinforce trust in a system that is technically sound and ethically implemented.
The integrity of our digital ecosystem must be safeguarded, not only from cyber threats but from disinformation that can undermine our national progress.
The mobile phone data programme is not a breach of privacy, but instead an important tool for digital nation-building, designed with checks and balances that preserve user anonymity and protect public trust.
Let us not conflate good governance with intrusion, or precaution with paranoia.
This part of Malaysia’s digital journey uses the carefully redacted data to ensure better mobile coverage and connectivity, among other things, to bring better comfort and telco services to the Malaysian public.
Sureswaran Ramadass is the chairman of the Apac IPv6 Council and a cybersecurity subject matter expert.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
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