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Malaysia
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Malaysia’s new database plan runs into privacy concerns amid recent hacks, data leaks

  • Malaysia’s new plan has a loophole in registering for the public-facing part of the database, which may allow for identity theft
  • Concern over data security and protection against breaches is high in Malaysia after repeated revelations of hacks and data theft over recent years

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A woman checks her mobile phone as the Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad is pictured in the background next to commercial buildings in Kuala Lumpur. Concern over data security and protection against breaches is high in Malaysia after repeated revelations of hacks and data theft over recent years. Photo: AFP
Hadi Azmi
An ambitious government plan to consolidate its databases on Malaysia’s population has stumbled on launch day as concerns spilled out over the potential for identity theft in a country riven by data leaks and cybersecurity breaches.

The Central Database – branded as Padu – is an effort led by the Economics Ministry to bring together information held by various ministries and government agencies into one, allowing the government a clearer picture of its 33.5 million population.

Launched amid much fanfare by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday, Padu aims to allow the government to dive deeper beyond its citizen’s gross income in determining where help and subsidies should be directed.
A commuter reads from his mobile phone next to an advertisement discouraging the dissemination of fake news at a railway station in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AP
A commuter reads from his mobile phone next to an advertisement discouraging the dissemination of fake news at a railway station in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AP

Just hours after the launch, Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli who spearheaded the project, admitted to a built-in loophole in registering for the public-facing part of the database which may allow for identity theft.

This came after former deputy international trade minister Ong Kian Ming revealed that anyone with knowledge of another person’s identity card (IC) number can register as that person, provided they also know the person’s home postcode.

The account allows the public to declare banking information, income, and dependencies that will give the government a better understanding of the needs of the individual.

“Anyone with your IC and postcode of your IC address can register your IC on your behalf,” Ong wrote on social media platform X. “It will be a hassle to get back your account.”

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