KUALA LUMPUR: The MySejahtera application has been updated with a new feature called MySejahtera Trace (MySJ Trace), which enables detection of close contacts.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the new function uses Bluetooth to trace close contacts of those who have been tested Covid-19 positive.
"This (MySJ Trace) feature will provide 'live' information on the number of interactions with other users who have also activated MySJ Trace.
"If you have been confirmed positive, you can send the interaction data to the health ministry where contact tracing will be done.
"All interaction data will be anonymised. This new function is highly recommended when visiting public indoor settings," Khairy said on Twitter today.
Khairy said with the new feature, the check-out module on MySejahtera will no longer be used.
"This new feature has been sent simultaneously to Google, Apple and Huawei. The update is already available on Huawei, while for Google and Apple, we are still waiting for them to list this new update," he added.
Meanwhile, the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) and the Health Ministry, in a joint statement yesterday said MySJ Trace was developed to meet the needs of the Find, Trace, Test, Isolate and Support (FTTIS) programme.
FTTIS is one of the Health Ministry's monitoring programmes to prevent and control the spread of Covid-19.
"To ensure the effectiveness of close contact detection activities, users must have their Bluetooth activated on their mobile devices at all times.
"When a person is confirmed positive for Covid-19, a notification will be sent via MySejahtera to obtain permission to share their close contact information with the authorities," the statement read.
Once approved, it said MySejahtera will provide the Health Ministry with access to the information to trace all close contacts.
It added that the MySJ feature utilises an anonymised Unique User ID (UUID) and will not gather user data and their geo-location.
The health ministry can access the data kept on a user's device for a 14-day period.
"The safety and secrecy of the entire process of contact tracing as well as data privacy are guaranteed by the government.
"Users are advised to update their MySejahtera application to activate the MySJ Trace feature," the statement added.