The Gerak Malaysia app won’t just be used to handle interstate travel permission, it seems. The mobile application is currently being used to ascertain the number of people stuck in their hometowns since the movement control order (MCO) began on March 18, and will be used to facilitate their return to major cities next month.
The process of registration involves collecting personal information such as name, mobile number, identity card number, address and email from applicants, which will be stored for a period of up to six months after the MCO lifts.
Applicants will also need to permit the app to track their locations via their smartphones to authenticate their current location. The app will continue to collect location data and maintain a record of the locations visited once it has been granted access. Once approved, a successful applicant will be provided with a generated QR code, which will be scanned by personnel manning roadblocks when the travel is made.
Interestingly, the Gerak Malaysia FAQ lists the ability to process several other permits with the app. These include a movement permits for emergencies (and medical reasons), the purchase of food and daily necessities as well as permission to carry out required activities. These features – which are independent of the interstate travel pass – are listed as being available from May 1.
While not defined, it is believed that these permits will be eventually be necessary to facilitate hassle-free progress at roadblocks, with the existing travel distance limitation of 10 km (and above that, for medical reasons) continuing to be applied. Each permit will have a different frequency rate for application.
For emergencies, presumably for things such as the purchase of medicines and medical treatment, there is no weekly limit to applying for a permit, and so this can be done on a daily basis, but users will have to submit a supporting document as well as the provided QR code at a checkpoint.
As for the purchase of food and daily necessities, a QR code will also be provided for smooth passage, but there is a frequency limit for this purpose, and you can only apply for a permit three times a week. Applicants will have to choose a time to head out, and a valid QR code will be provided for movement within the time slot given.
There is also mention of a permit for required activities, which while not detailed could be for things such as banking, sending the car in for servicing or carrying out errands at any of businesses related to the essential services permitted during the MCO. One is only allowed to apply once a week for this permit, and supporting documents must also be submitted at the checkpoint along with the QR code.
Essentially, those who need to go through roadblocks to carry out these tasks look like they will benefit most from these permits. There are still large swathes of the Klang Valley in which movement is not impeded by roadblocks, so it is unknown if the electronic permit will be made a mandatory requirement. At a roadblock, it could well be that you may be asked to turn around and go back home if you don’t have a required permit.
What do you think of this new measure to manage – and limit unnecessary – movement during the MCO? And with bugs having been reported with the app, how smooth do you think the implementation will be? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.
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Pasar & mydin within 10km radius. so no problem
Big brother, enemy of state. It is closer and sooner than we ever thought.
This good to stop people who go joyride and speeding, but give excuse of buying food for wife.
Ever been to London? Naw, I’m sure you didn’t.
This is the dumbest thing under the MCO. Is the authorities planning to impose a defacto total curfew in the country, and on what basis has the authorities decided who can and cannot go out to buy groceries? The fact that one has to apply a permit implies that the authorities can decide who can and cannot buy groceries. This is against all basic human rights exceeding all worst form of dictatorship.
Australia which supposed to have more freedom, already implemented such tracking app for areas infected. Hypocrite much?
Australia is a super racist country pretending to be first class. The white is bad too Asian. Studied and worked for 10 years there, not going back there forever. Malaysian Singaporean Chinese all got harast frequently. US is no better. West is mostly hypocrite.
The Western powers complained about freedom and civil liberties in lockdown but now their infection and death cases are topping China’s own. Padan mukak to those libertards. Go get yourselves infected and please die isolation.
Thats how the Home Manister can less work.
yeah, preach about human rights during a pendamic. be like the USA. keep fighting. rofl.
Whoever suggested the need for permit to buy groceries must either be an idiot or like to think that he is the Almighty.
You remind me of a guy who posted angrily in a supermarket chain FB page wishing the supermarket owners to get Covid and die. He posted almost like 10 similar comments about it. The reason why he so angry is because the supermarket decided to make wearing face masks as mandatory – which was actually instructed by local authority. So, the point is you’re the same dumbo in my opinion. I bet you also don’t wear any face masks.
If it is mandatory, are those that doesn’t have smartphone not allowed to go out? And the approval process if required, is it fast enough for emergency supply runs.
This will be a nightmare of privacy violations. Imagine the police have all your personal details and your locations history, up to 6 months after MCO lifted (at least that’s what they said). This will open up a door for future surveillance on citizens, just like what is happening in China. Those data can be and will be used to target citizens for future political agenda. Big No. Malaysia should use the framework provided (imminent) by Apple+Google as a way to trace contacts, just like EU, instead of developing “new method that nobody knows how it works” method.
I support this method. Just use what’s available instead of using taxpayers money to develop this. The government is already burning a huge sum of money to bail out the country.
Boleh caya ke?? For breaking MCO, janda anak 9bulan kene 30hari jail. DPM pulak denda ciput je
So far Malaysia has been handling the health aspect very well. The focus has to now be on soft landing out of the MCO, to allow major industries, sectors, employers to move towards a healthy economy again. This app if truly intended to act like an electronic tag for every person, moves us really into the opposite direction, and towards absolute loss of basic freedoms as free citizens. Hopefully these are just extra functions that will never ever be needed.
I smell cronies and the gang are hired to make Gerak Malaysia app…
Yela. Budak2 kolej work from home to app it…
The app and server maintenance should be low cost because it is only a web base interface, but integration on scanners as well as future check-in electronic gates will be overnight billionaire
save all these craps , the most important thing to start focus now is the aftermath of the MCO where economy revival shall be the most urgent and upmost important. Why is there a need to implement this frequency control kind of stuff unless the government plans to extend the MCO for another long period?
Because this virus pandemic ain’t ending? HELLOOOO!!!!
To your little limited logic, are we suppose to lock down until vaccine enabled? Go to a cave and stay for a year then mate.
Hello
It depends on the application of the apps after data collection. I support contact tracing despite give away privacy. >90% of patient can be cured provided seeking treatment at early stage. However, pointless to apply it for restriction of movement during MCO. We will have to restart the economic soon, we should look for appropriate solution after restart , and not stay forever in MCO. The key solution is social distancing.
I see Essential activity and Essential shopping. What about those of us going to work? What option do we select?
New world order, kawan
The app doesn’t run on rooted android devices. why???
Please don’t make life more miserable
MCO is supposed to be ending very soon. Isn’t this app supposed to be implemented from the beginning?
This Gerak app company is very clever in making money out of the misery of people. Nobody is so free to simply travel to buy necessities and risk themselves to be infected with Covid19 due to shopping crowd. Another unscrupulous company detected here (unless you don’t charge the government).
100% tracking ??? What do you think
More than 90% of Malaysians has been following the MCO rules. Why suddenly be strict and want to implement something so drastic?
I hope it is not to waste tax money to give some project for political reasons. Cos this doesn’t seem necessary and even extreme. Permission to buy groceries.
What about people who doesn’t have phones for the app or are illiterate?