Balancing between data’s potential and its security

IN an era where data is king, the launch of Malaysia’s Central Database Hub (Padu) marks a significant milestone.

For the first time, the government will be collecting personal data on an unprecedented scale – everything from IC numbers and addresses to bank details and property ownership – into a single repository.

While revolutionary in its potential to streamline government services and target subsidies effectively, this initiative raises profound concerns about the security and privacy of our data.

Currently, we have the Personal Data Protection Act on the books. However, under Section 3(1) of the Act, this law does not apply to the government. 

Personal Data Protection Act 2010

Does this mean the extensive data collected through Padu is not afforded the same protections as it would if it was collected by private entities?

Previous data misuse and breaches in government systems only exacerbate our fear.

Cybersecurity firm Surfshark has listed Malaysia as the eighth most breached country globally in Q3 2023, with 494,699 leaked accounts. This represents a 144% increase in breach rate compared to Q2 2023.

According to its midyear threat landscape report, leaks from the government sector constituted 22% of total security breaches from January to June 2023.

The fundamental questions cannot be avoided: Can we trust the government with so much of our personal information? What assurances are there that it will be protected against misuse and theft?

The answers, according to most analysts and experts, lie in reforming the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) to encompass government data handling.

Amending the PDPA to include the government and all its agencies would be a significant step toward securing public confidence.

It would ensure the same rigorous data protection standards applied to private entities are also binding upon the government.

Such an amendment would not just be a legal formality; it would be the government’s commitment to the people, a reassurance that our personal information is valued and protected with the highest standards of security and privacy.

It would demonstrate a recognition of the principle that with great power comes great responsibility, especially when that power involves access to the extensive details of one’s financial and personal life.

While Padu presents an opportunity for public administration in Malaysia to take a huge leap forward, it also poses a significant risk to personal privacy if not appropriately managed.

The need to amend the PDPA to apply to data collected by the government is not just a regulatory necessity but a critical step in building trust between the citizens and the state.

Only with such legislative safeguards can the government assure its people that their data, their most personal and sensitive information, is in safe hands.

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Firms’ legal battle against US ‘forced labor’ slur necessary

 

Photo: Vitaly Podvitsk

The legal battle between Chinese laser printer manufacturer Ninestar and the US government has received wide attention, and the unfolding of the thorny legal dispute surrounding the case has further revealed how brazen Washington is in implementing trade bullying by placing the label of so-called forced labor on China. 

Ninestar Corporation

After Ninestar and its seven subsidiaries were put on a list under the US' so-called Uygur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA), the company sued the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency body led by the US Department of Homeland Security, in the US Court of International Trade, accusing it of acting in an "arbitrary and capricious manner in violation of US law" and arguing that the listing decision was taken "without offering any explanation or justification."

Now the legal fight is heating up, in part over who shares the burden of proof and the reliability of the evidence, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday.

In a December filing, Ninestar claimed that the US government's decision lacked evidence and "applied a low standard of proof," and its basis was "retroactive." The company also asked the court to suspend the implementation of the government's action.

While the ultimate outcome of the case is unclear, it has already played a role in exposing the US roughness and lack of supporting evidence, letting the world know how brazen Washington could be in using lies to suppress Xinjiang industries and Chinese manufacturing.

It is no secret that the so-called forced labor and genocide claims in Xinjiang are utter lies made up by radical politicians, media and think tank scholars in the US and the West.

In recent years, Xinjiang has made great achievements in manufacturing development. In particular, large-scale mechanized production has become increasingly popular in most areas in the region, with the mechanization rate of Xinjiang's cotton sector at about 90 percent.

So how is "forced labor" possible? In the context of China-US tensions, playing the "Xinjiang card" is actually nothing but another tool the US has used to contain China's development. It wants to deprive local people of employment, creating de facto "forced unemployment" and thus disrupting the steady growth of Chinese manufacturing.

This is the fundamental reason why the UFLPA, turning a blind eye to the basic principle of the modern rule of law - the presumption of innocence - exercises the controversial presumption clause that requires enforcement authorities to presume that all goods "mined, produced, or manufactured" in whole or in part in Xinjiang are made with "forced labor" while forcing companies to incriminate themselves.

Because of this lie, products made in Xinjiang are collectively targeted and discriminated against by Western supply chains. If this is not a violation of the international trade order, then what is?

Even as Washington is obsessed about catering to its domestic political environment and strategic needs to suppress Chinese manufacturing, it is still important for Ninestar to defend its interests by resorting to legal action. Whatever the outcome of the case, Chinese companies need to have their voices heard.

Even if litigation is costly and doesn't guarantee winning the case, we still believe that more Chinese companies should seek clarity and challenge trade rules that carry political intentions through legal means.

Chinese companies should not accept this. We also hope that relevant industry associations provide more legal assistance and support to companies that were blacklisted by such unfair trade measures

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PADU to help govt identify eligible targeted subsidy

PADU: Who is responsible for protecting your personal data?

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 https://soyacincau.com/2024/01/02/padu-what-is-it-is-your-personal-data-safe-xrs/

PM urges Malaysians to register on Padu to prevent leakages ...

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on Malaysians to register and update their information on the national Central Database System (Padu) to address leakages in the allocation of government expenditures and subsidies.

Suspend Padu registration until security concerns addressed ...

Suspend Padu registration until security concerns addressed ...

@eugen I do not understand why the government wants to know so many details of the people / rakyat. Doesn't the government already have all the personal details under the sun of the people? There are National Registration Department's (LPN) database of personal details of every single citizen, Immigration Department's passport and in/out records of every citizen, JPJ's database of all vehicles and all drivers, Income Tax Department records of incomes of every citizen with income, Company Commission (SSM) records of all businesses and their owners, RoS (Registrar of Societies) database of all the organizations and NGOs, Bank Negara records of citizens and their bank accounts, even City Council (Majlis Bandaraya), Land Office (Jabatan Tanah dan Galian), MCMC (SKMM), TNB, water supplying companies, IndahWater, Maxis, Digi, U-mobile all have our personal details. What other details does the government want? We are worse than a communist country.

'Security barriers in place' | The Star

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/01/04/security-barriers-in-place

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Padu a good start towards focused subsidies

TA Research expects the government to educate people about Padu to ensure that the subsidy-rationalisation plan stays on track.

PETALING JAYA: The newly launched national Central Database Hub (Padu) is a move in the right direction for ensuring fairer subsidy distribution, analysts say.

However, its system self-updating information could be “a little bit tedious” particularly for senior citizens and those residing in rural areas, said TA Research.

The research house expects the government to educate people about Padu in order to make sure the subsidy-rationalisation plan stays on track.

The public will be given a three-month period until March 31, 2024 to update and verify their information on the database.

Since this is not compulsory, no action will be taken against those who do not update their information in the database.

With the implementation of Padu, TA Research said the government aims for a more focused distribution of subsidies and partly move away from the general income categories such as B40, M40 or T20, which does not give a true picture of household disposable income.

“However, there is a catch, whereby those who did not register would be at risk of being excluded from receiving targeted subsidies. We are made to understand that the risk of exclusion may occur as the government will use existing information and information updated in Padu to determine the household profile and eligibility for those who qualify for targeted subsidies or otherwise,” the research house added.

TA Research said on the reliability of the data in the system should be reasonable.

“Managed by the Statistics Department, we believe the given information will be cross-checked and verified by the related government agencies. For the record, Padu covers 270 types of data under the federal government from various agencies. Data from state and local governments will be gradually included,” it said.

According to the research firm, this process should happen in the second phase, probably in April-June 2024, just in time for the subsidy rationalisation plan to take place in the second half of 2024.

The implementation of targeted subsidies is expected to help the government achieve its target of reducing the fiscal deficit to between 3%-3.5% of gross domestic product by 2025. The government has allocated RM52.8bil for subsidies this year. It is projected to decrease by 17.9% compared to an estimated RM64.2bil in 2023, primarily due to the gradual implementation of subsidy rationalisation, TA Research said.

'Vital to ensure no one slips through the cracks ...

PETALING JAYA: Putrajaya must find ways to ensure deserving aid recipients do not slip through the cracks under the Padu system, say economic experts.

There must be ways to catch “errors of omissions” and “errors of inclusion”, where there will be some who are qualified but excluded – whereas there will be those who are not qualified but they are mistakenly included, said economist Datuk Dr Madeline Berma of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia.

“As for the near real-time aspect, there is the question of the honesty of Malaysians to update the data.

“Should you be unemployed today and getting subsidies, would you update your data of getting employment at the expense of forgoing your subsidies six months later?

“While it all looks good and fine on paper, data must not be allowed to rule and human elements should not be disregarded.

“The data must be used to facilitate and expedite but not to be rule-all,” said Berma, who also called on the government to make full use of the community arms such as NGOs to ensure that no one falls through the gaps.

Malaysian Inclusive Development and Advancement Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia director Tan Sri Noor Azlan Ghazali said that when it comes to such a database, purpose matters.

“Errors will always be there. It is best to define the accepted level of error and quickly get to fixing problems.

'Click To Enlarge'

“Is there a need to go to the individual level? Is ground targetting sufficient?

“Weigh the costs and the gains,” said Noor Azlan.

Economics expert Prof Dr Chung Tin Fah of HELP University also said having a central database is laudable but pointed out that there is always a problem of how reliable the data can be.

He said this is due to the possibility of certain groups such as those living in remote geographical locations and those outside the scope of coverage such as informal sector workers being omitted from the database.

He said the government must focus on the inclusion of such groups in order to enhance data reliability.

Economics expert Prof Dr Geoffrey Williams of the Malaysia University of Science Technology (MUST) said everyone has an incentive to help make it work by updating their data quickly and accurately in the Padu central database.

“If they are dishonest, there should be swift penalties. This will make sure people provide accurate data and keep it updated,” he said.