KUCHING, April 5: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng has expressed disappointment over Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen’s remarks about the QMunity app, claiming that the latter had “insulted and humiliated” the efforts and corporate social responsibility (CSR) work of Sarawakian app developers.
According to a press release, Wee stated that Chong should refrain from over-politicking and spend more time cultivating talents among young Sarawakians by enabling and encouraging them.
“Unlike what Chong claimed, in which he said that the people in Sarawak abandoned the QMunity app three months after it was launched, usage of the app increased steadily until the nationwide mass vaccination programme was rolled out in February 2021 using the MySejahtera App,” he asserted.
Wee explained in his statement that the QMunity app was created by Sarawakians to help with contact tracing during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Along with the COVIDTrace App by SAINS, QMunity was created with the greatest of intentions to help our beloved State, and it was launched prior to the introduction of the MySejahtera app,” he said.
He went on to say that MBKS began using QMunity in its contact tracing efforts within areas and purviews of its jurisdiction, such as the city hall and markets, and that it filled gaps created by a lack of familiarity with the MySejahtera app in the early stages of the pandemic, as well as a dire need for an efficient tracing mechanism.
“Sarawakians’ pride was reflected in the conception and subsequent successful development of these apps.
“We have talents, and they have demonstrated a high level of patriotism towards Sarawak when crises have struck.
“COVIDTrace and QMunity app developers both volunteered their apps as part of their CSR programmes, which I am extremely grateful for,” he stated.
The mayor added that the QMunity app, which was later transferred to MBKS, had been professionally maintained and that its data and information had been protected and secured with utmost care.
On April 2, Chong demanded that the government provide an account of the QMunity app’s data security and privacy, in light of recent concerns about privacy breaches and national security compromises involving the MySejahtera app. — DayakDaily
