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Apr. 17, 2007

In a concerted effort to help prevent spying and various security breaches, Malaysia has prohibited cell phones and handheld mobile devices in high-security areas of government departments.

Malaysia's ban comes on the heels of a warning from Chief Secretary Mohamed Sidek Hassan, in a recent circular that unauthorized images or data transmitted through phones and PDAs could threaten the country's economic and security functions and the overall image of the government.

According to Chief Security Officer Johari Jamaluddin, so far, no breaches have yet been reported. However, the ban is seen as a necessary precautionary measure.

Jamaluddin added "we had never felt the need to come up with such a ban before, simply because the use of camera hand phones and other electronic devices wasn't as rampant as it is today," Jamaluddin told a local newspaper.

"Now, everyone seems to have them. It's a bit inconvenient but for the sake of the country's security, everyone has to play their role," said Jamaluddin.

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Source: Wireless Week