KUCHING: Wiretapping, according to several members of the public, is okay so long as it is done for the safety and security of the country.
On Wednesday, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) revealed a series of audio recordings of high-ranking government officials, including former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, calling it a “criminal conspiracy at the highest level.”
The recordings were said to have been made between Jan 5 and July 29, 2016.
New Sarawak Tribune talked to several members of the public on the issue of wiretapping and many agreed – provided it came with certain conditions such as not used for personal agenda.
Clifford Hayes, 23, said even though it invaded an individual’s privacy, wiretapping should only be used in certain circumstances.
“If it involved foreign interference that would destabilise and threaten our country, then it would be appropriate for wiretapping to be used.
“It should not be allowed for normal citizens like us as it could easily be abused,” he said.
Clifford added that to some degree, wiretapping was required as it could be used as solid evidence.
Leandro Mcrae, 24, a supervisor at a cleaning service company, also shared the same opinion, saying that wiretapping should be allowed for legal, political and safety reasons.
“Wiretapping can be used for many things, if it is used the right way, such as stopping terrorist attacks and tracking down criminals.
“It can also help in preventing prominent figures from lying to the public, for instance if they said something over the phone that they later contradict, then someone could confront them and get the correct answer,” he said.
Mohd Harun, 61, a personal driver, said wiretapping should strictly be used for gathering evidence.
“The recordings can be used as evidence in order to avoid fabrication of other evidence.
“I have no problem with the government wiretapping our phones – if it is a matter of public security,” he said.
Mohd Syahiran, 22, a student, also shared the same opinion.
“As long as the person gives consent to have their phones tapped, then it should be fine,” he said.
Allan Kelvin, 21, also a student, said even though wiretapping was an invasion of privacy, if it was of national security, then he was okay with it.
Zainul Nizam, 24, a supervisor at a telecommunication outlet, was all for wiretapping, saying: “Sometimes, we need it for justice.”
Peggy Ho, 27, a sales manager at a telecommunication outlet, said: “For safety purposes such as to avoid business or personal fraud, it should be allowed.”
Jessica Lim, 23, a sales staff, concurred, saying “it is alright for the sake of safety and security.”
However, Shafiq Firdaus Rizal, 24, a student, was against the use of wiretapping as it was a gross invasion of privacy. Shafiq added that as much as it could be used as evidence in a case, it could project a negative image of Malaysia to the world.
