Commission Under Personal Data Protection Act to be Created Next Year

Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim was discussing with the Public Service Department (PSD) on the manpower needs, emoluments and other service requirements for the commission.

“The commission has already been created in terms of legislation, it’s just that we need to cooperate with and accept the location of the building from the PSD, which we are working on now.

“I think it’s not later than January next year, but probably by the end of the year we can resolve the size of the manpower required, and we are also planning on the logistics for the new department,” he told reporters after presenting the 2009 Excellent Service Awards to ministry staff, here today.

A total of 772 staff of the ministry and agencies and departments under the ministry received the awards at a ceremony which was also attended by the two deputy ministers of the ministry namely Datuk Joseph Salang and Datuk Maglin Dennis D’Cruz, Kamaruddin as well as heads of departments including Bernama Deputy Editor-in-Chief (Domestic News Service) Zulkifli Salleh.

Rais said that with the existence of the commission, the number of agencies and departments under the ministry had increased to 19.

He said the commission was closely linked to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) as it applied computer forensic knowledge.

“In addition, the commissioner is not just anybody. He has to be trained in interrogations, cross-examinations in court proceedings and others,” he said.

Rais said the position of other companies including Credit Tip Off Services Sdn Bhd (CTOS) which had been using one’s personal data all this while was now placed under the new act.

The act, which was passed by Parliament in April, among others aimed at regulating the processing of the personal data of an individual, who is involved in commercial transactions, by the data user to provide protection to the individual’s personal data and thereby protecting the interest of the individual concerned.

According to the act, any personal data user who breaches the provision under Section 5(1) has committed an offence and faces a maximum jail term of two years, a RM200,000 fine or both.