data breach JPN Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (centre) greeting the staff of the Home Ministry (KDN) during the Ministry’s Aidilfitri Celebration at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC). PIX: HAZROL ZAINAL / MalaysiaGazette / 18 MAY 2022
Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (centre) greeting the staff of the Home Ministry (KDN) during the Ministry’s Aidilfitri Celebration at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC). PIX: HAZROL ZAINAL / MalaysiaGazette / 18 MAY 2022. Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (tengah) beramah mesra dengan sebahagian kakitangan KDN yang hadir pada Majlis Sambutan Hari Raya Aidilfitri Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) di Pusat Konvensyen Antarabangsa Putrajaya (PICC), Putrajaya. Foto HAZROL ZAINAL, 18 MEI 2022.

By Muhammad Azizul Osman

PUTRAJAYA – The Home Ministry (KDN) denied that the data breach of 22 million residents was caused by the National Registration Department (JPN).

Its Minister, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said that the irresponsible party obtained the information from third party.

“It was not KDN. He did not get the data directly from JPN. We are investigating because some people claimed that he got the data from JPN. Actually, we have a mechanism which can prove that it did not come from JPN,” he said during the Home Ministry Aidilfitri Celebration at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) today when asked about the allegation on technology forum, Lowyat.net yesterday.

According to the report, a database seller claimed that they are in possession of a dataset which belonged to JPN that consisted of the entire population of Malaysia with birth years from 1940 to 2004. It is currently being listed online with an asking price of USD10,000 (RM43,870)

In that report, the seller claimed that they also have the personal data including full name, identity card number, address and picture from the Election Commission (EC) website.

Meanwhile, Hamzah said that the ministry will summon certain quarters after they investigate the issue.

“We are conducting investigation and we can see what happened. Many information they got are collected from other places, that’s why, we will be calling those involved soon,” he added.

“For example, previously, we managed to prove that it did not originate from JPN but from several other agencies which received information from us,” he explained. -MalaysiaGazette