ORANG ASLI NOT MARGINALISED IN PROCESS OF DIGITALISING SERVICES - SHAMSUL ANUAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 (Bernama) -- The government has given an assurance that whatever policies or approaches are implemented, including the process of digitalising services, especially in the field of security, will not jeopardise the people's interests and future, including that of the Orang Asli.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said that although the use of MyDigital ID is targeted towards accessing government services, the manual approach is still being continued to facilitate those in the vulnerable groups.

He added that although the MyBayar PDRM (Royal Malaysia Police) online application had been fully integrated with MyDigital ID since Oct 1 last year, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and rural folk with limited Internet access or digital skills could still settle their summonses and other matters through the alternative method.

"For rural areas and Orang Asli settlements, the establishment of the Digital Economic Centres under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will also help the communities to access government services through Internet facilities and digital literacy training.

"MyDigital ID is a safe alternative digital identity confirmation and does not fully replace the use of MyKad or physical self-identification documents. As such, those who can't access digital facilities, manual and face-to-face confirmation methods at service counters will continue to be implemented,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Shamsul Anuar was responding to a question from Mohd Nazri Abu Hassan (PN-Merbok) regarding government measures to ensure the elderly, rural folk and Orang Asli are not marginalised once security and immigration services become fully reliant on MyDigital ID.

He also said that the MyDigital ID data is managed according to stringent cybersecurity standards, and in compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2010, which is based on the principles of safety, privacy and protection of individuals' rights

He added that officers authorised to access information are specifically trained on the ethics of data use and the protection of vulnerable groups.

"System access, meanwhile, is safeguarded through security mechanisms, such as layers of verification, secure passwords and activity log records. The government has given an assurance that the security of people's data is always a priority and any misuse will be subject to appropriate action,” he said.

-- BERNAMA