Shahrim Tamrin has gotten privacy on the front page of the Malay Mail. In an article on October 25, Tamrin reports that an investigation by the paper found that personal information was being bought, sold, or traded, without any knowledge of those whose information it was. When the reporter asked the source of the databases being offered to them, they were told:
“The high-end databases were mainly obtained from property developers while the credit card database is from financial institutions and market research agencies.
“As for telco records, we source it daily from various telecommunications providers and middle-men.”
Not surprisingly, the reporting generated a response, and today, the paper has reactions of consumer groups such as:
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) secretary-general Muhammad Shaani Abdullah said it was high time authorities took action to address personal data security in the country.
“It does not take much common sense to understand why we need to stop this blatant trade of personal data as it poses a threat to people’s safety.”
Noting there was hardly any legal recourse for victims, he added: “The government must act on this now, with or without the Personal Data Protection Act 2010, as we just can’t wait for it to be implemented.”