KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — Opposition lawmakers have expressed fears of being targeted by the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government, after leaked documents showed it bought spyware that can listen in on phone calls and even track a person’s location through his mobile phones.

Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar pointed out that while the US government’s espionage activities are subject to oversight by the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Malaysians have no recourse against Putrajaya’s alleged invasion of privacy, nor do they receive disclosure of the federal government’s purported spying programmes.

“I have reason to believe that the opposition is the government’s primary target in their procurement of RCS,” Nurul Izzah told Malay Mail Online, referring to the remote control system (RCS) software that Putrajaya was shown to have purchased from Italy-based company, Hacking Team, through leaked documents.

“Certainly, if you have nothing to hide, there’s also nothing to be feared. But unfortunately, the government’s move to spy on its citizens indicates a serious loss of moral bearing; and abdication of responsibility. This is in lieu of the instruments of governance being utilised time and again to protect the powers that be, rendering citizens or the opposition at the mercy of the authorities,” said the PKR vice president.

An unidentified hacker, or group of hackers, recently leaked Hacking Team’s internal documents, source codes and email communications, revealing invoices that showed the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) buying the RCS software from the online security vendor.

An excerpt of the invoice published in a report by CSO Online listed the PMO as an “Active” client as at March 31 this year, while MACC’s maintenance contract was listed as “Expired” as at January 31 last year.

Ryan Gallagher, a journalist from US news website The Intercept who specialises in government surveillance, told online podcast Reply All last week that the RCS software allows Hacking Team’s clients to steal photographs and documents from one’s devices, as well as to record audio from Skype or phone calls, copy text and WhatsApp chat messages, and even to turn on the location function on one’s phone.

The BN government’s purported purchase of spyware is not new as Putrajaya was reported back in 2013 as using another surveillance software, known as FinSpy, that security researchers believed was more likely used against political targets than criminals.

Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli — who has done exposes on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), among other issues — said what he fears every time he is arrested is not so much the detention itself, but what the police might plant in his phone.

“But with the news that the Malaysian government has bought this spy software that can even steal and plant stuff, it is no longer a wild fear. I won’t put it past BN that they may use it to frame opposition and NGO leaders, especially when they are cornered like now,” Rafizi told Malay Mail Online.

Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli said what he fears every time he is arrested is not so much the detention itself, but what the police might plant in his phone. — Picture by K.E. Ooi

“In the past, Umno bloggers have even fabricated emails (using Word documents) that accused me of having a gay relationship with people and they used this in the run-up to the last general election to character-assassinate me. They even have used the same tactic of email fabrication to accuse me of planning to plant bombs in Kuala Lumpur,” the PKR vice-president added.

Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua said the capabilities of the RCS software appeared extensive and constituted a total violation of Malaysians’ right to privacy.

“It is unlawful for the government to use such surveillance software, as wiretapping and the like can only be done by the proper authorities against specific targets, with justifiable reason, with court permission,” the DAP publicity chief told Malay Mail Online.

“What reason does the PMO have to purchase the RCS? PMO must immediately come clean and state if it has indeed purchased the RCS and who it has used the software against, and why. It is unconscionable for the government to spend millions to spy on its own citizens when the money could be better used to develop the country,” Pua added.

Sepang MP Hanipa Maidin, who is also a lawyer, said it was “very undemocratic” and “very irresponsible” of the BN government to violate Malaysians’ privacy.

“We’ll question this in Parliament — we want to know how much the government spent,” the PAS lawmaker told Malay Mail Online.