GEORGE TOWN, Aug 5 — The Penang state government will phase out its Penang contact-tracing application, PgCARE, this month in compliance with the federal government’s ruling on making the MySejahtera application mandatory.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state will abide by the federal government’s decision on the use of MySejahtera.
“I will be recommending this to the state exco when the meeting resumes after this to phase out PgCARE while MySejahtera will be gazetted and its use for contact tracing enforced,” he said during a press conference at his office in Komtar today.
PgCARE, launched on May 15, has registered about 1.35 million users and 35,521 business premises.
Chow said the application has recorded 16.48 million check-ins since May 15.
The PgCARE application is a public private partnership project between the state government through Chief Minister Incorporated with Madison Technologies and supported by Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd Malaysia.
He said the state had invested about RM36,000 while Madison Technologies invested RM89,282 into setting up the application.
The Penang lawmaker said the state had to phase out the application to abide by the federal government’s decision as the state does not want Penangites, who used PgCARE, to get into trouble.
“PgCARE was well received so I hope the enforcement authorities will allow Penangites some time to transit to the MySejahtera application,” he said.
Chow added that he will ask the state National Security Council to inform the respective enforcement agencies to allow Penangites and business premises until August 31 to transition to the MySejahtera app.
He advised all Penang-based business premises and Penangites to download the MySejahtera application and start using it instead of PgCARE.
Yesterday, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said it is mandatory for all business premises to use the MySejahtera app.
*Editor’s note: An earlier version that erroneously stated the Penang government invested about RM60,000 to set up the application based on data provided by the state has since been amended after clarification.
