On the night of Hari Raya Aidiladha, it was reported that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) asked telcos to share mobile personal data (MPD) with the government — sparking privacy concerns.

The move, however, is part of a government-backed initiative by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) to use anonymised mobile data to improve national statistics. Approved by the Cabinet in April 2023, the project aims to replace outdated surveys with real-time insights on population movement, economic activity, and infrastructure needs.

MCMC clarified that no personal details like names or identification numbers are collected. Only eight anonymised data points are gathered — including signal tower locations, mobile usage type (calls or data), and service network type (3G/4G/5G).