CHIEF Minister Chow Kon Yeow has expressed serious concern over the recent errors and security breaches involving ADUN.Net, the official portal that state assemblymen use to access information related to the State Legislative Assembly.
This is following the leak of an answer to an oral question from Ong Ah Teong (PH–Batu Lancang) directed to State Social Development, Welfare, and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Lim Siew Khim (PH–Sungai Pinang).
Chow stressed the need for a further investigation by State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Law Choo Kiang to ensure that the honour of the Assembly is upheld.
“Who should have access to the portal? Only the state assemblymen should have access to it.
“However, some unauthorised individuals accessed it, took screenshots of the information, and shared them with the YB, which constitutes a serious intrusion.
“As such, the State Legislative Assembly Speaker must initiate a further investigation to determine how unauthorised individuals gained access to the information.
“Even more concerning is the fact that this information was shared and circulated before the question was officially answered in the assembly,” Chow added.
Chow also urged that action be taken against the officer responsible for uploading the answers before they were officially provided, due to the individual’s negligence.
Meanwhile, Law explained that the error on the Assembly’s side had been rectified, and the answer was removed from the portal.
“Usually the answers will be uploaded only after they have been presented during the assembly sitting.
“We will take the appropriate action on our side to make sure that this does not recur.
“As for the intrusion, we hope assemblymen will also play their part in safeguarding the confidentiality of their access details when entrusting others with them,” Law said.
As a result of this error and security breach, a heated argument took place between Lim and Ong.
Ong, who had earlier responded to the leaked answer, apologised and retracted his response.
Lim argued that the leaked answers did not contain the full responses and that Ong should not have made assumptions based on incomplete answers.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Muhamad Amir Irsyad Omar & Darwina Mohd Daud