KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — The National Patriot Association (PATRIOT) wants the Home Ministry to investigate if the controversial data mining firm Cambridge Analytica (CA) had conducted illegal espionage activities against Malaysian citizens.
In a press statement today, its president retired Brigardier General Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji said any such actions by foreign companies can be construed as spying or even treasonous and must be condemned.
PATRIOT comprises of retired officers of the Malaysian Armed Forces and Royal Malaysian Police with many who were in the military intelligence service and Special Branch.
“ We are experts in psychological operation and psychological warfare, and knowledgeable about operatives in covert operation work,” he said.
“There are legal and ethical limits to such work if the data mining is for use during peacetime and against our own Malaysian people. Such illegal activities conducted by foreign companies or operatives can be construed as spying, perhaps even treasonous, and is to be harshly condemned,” said Mohamed Arshad.
He said in the light of the current revelation and exposé, the Minister of Home Affairs should make a clarification statement as espionage is a very serious offence.
“Actions be taken against perpetrators who infringed the laws,” said Mohamed Arshad.
He was referring to British Channel 4 News exposé which secretly filmed CA officials boasting they could extort politicians, entrap them with women and proliferate propaganda for their clients.
It also accused CA of data mining from Facebook on millions of social network users without their consent.
He pointed out that any action which secretly mines personal data of Malaysians is an infringement of the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 with the act being applicable to both Malaysians and foreigners.
