Again, Azalina denies Putrajaya bought spyware

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said is again denying Putrajaya's alleged purchase of spyware. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, January 1, 2016. 

Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has again denied that Putrajaya purchased spyware after a tech blogger accused the government of being a client of Italian IT firm Hacking Team.

The minister in the Prime Minister's Department said such allegations were unsubstantiated and had already been answered in Parliament‎.

"I have provided a written reply to the question, by explaining that the Prime Minister's Office had never procured such software.‎

"Hence once again I stress that no such procurement was made by the Prime Minister's Office," she said in a statement.

Yesterday, blogger Keith Rozario uploaded on his website  keithrozario.com proof of purchase between Shah Alam-based company Miliserv Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd and Hacking Team in September 2013 and July 2014.

Miliserv paid the Milan-based firm ‎£38,500 (RM170,270) and £210,000 (RM899,157) for the software.

Rozario said this proved Putrajaya was involved in the purchase through Miliserv, a 100% Bumiputera firm registered under the Finance Ministry.‎

Azalina in her statement added that any further explanation should be obtained from the agency involved, saying it was beyond her jurisdiction.

"I would like to explain here about the allegations that another government agency acquired the spyware.

"It is appropriate that the explanation‎ be obtained from the agency involved if there is one, as it is not right for me to speak on behalf of other agencies beyond my jurisdiction," she said.

Azalina ‎in a written parliamentary reply last November denied that the government had bought spyware.

"For your information, no such device was purchased by the Prime Minister’s Department‎," Azalina said in her reply to a question from PKR's Batu MP Chua Tian Chang.

- TMI