DESPITE most Malaysians are cooperating with the Government to curb the spread of COVID-19, the tools being used are not as effective as it should be since new daily COVID-19 continues to be in thousands.
“We need MySejahtera to step up its game to keep all of us safe in this crisis. We should be alerted by the app if we have come into contact with the virus and should get ourselves tested and quarantined. However, this is not happening,” said Selangor state assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran in a statement today.
“We scan and scan at every premise we enter, but how many have been notified that they have come into contact with a COVID-19 positive case and thus should report to a health clinic nearby to get tested?
“It is unlikely that this happens, as now even known closed contacts are not contacted to come in for testing, let alone a crowd that may have been in the same restaurant or bank branch as a positive patient,” he added.
Therefore, Rajiv questions the Government’s move to penalise people for not scanning MySejahtera when the system is not being utilised for what it was designed for, which is to identify close contact and curb the spread.
“If the system was working, and close contacts were effectively and efficiently identified our number would not have risen so high, so quickly. What exactly is MySejahtera doing with all the data they collected?” Rajiv questioned.
He believes that since the Ministry of Health does not have the capacity to test all visitors of a premise based on ‘location contact tracing’, it should at least justify the reason for the strictness, even if they are not effectively safeguarding those who have registered to the app.
Another fault with the app is its supposed capability of allowing COVID-19 positive users to self-report to the ministry, which has also been problematic.
In an earlier statement, Rajiv asked for clarification on whether reporting via the app will be sufficient or will the users have to head to the Covid Assessment Centres (CAC) physically as well, which would again beat the purpose of the app.
“So, what exactly is the function of MySejahtera and why are forced to comply with a clearly dysfunctional app?” Rajiv concluded. – Feb 18, 2021
