Location tracking does not indicate if meaningful work is being done, says expert
PETALING JAYA: A government system monitoring up to 200,000 civil servants working from home is under scrutiny amid concerns it could misjudge performance and unfairly penalise staff by tracking location instead of actual output.
The Secure Personnel Online Tracking system, introduced on April 15, records attendance and work activity through hourly geo-location tracking, but experts say it may not accurately reflect productivity and could result in flawed performance assessments.
Malaysia Board of Technologists professional technologist Aw Yoke Cheng said such tracking largely indicates where a device is located, not whether meaningful work is being delivered.
“Presence in a location does not equate to work output.
Real productivity comes from outcomes and deliverables, not location pings,” he said, adding that indicators such as report quality and project milestones provide a more accurate measure of performance.
Aw, who is also a digital business and technology assistant professor, cautioned against relying on location data as a primary metric, adding that precise geo-location information is classified as personal data under privacy principles.
“Mishandling such data could lead to privacy breaches and potential legal consequences.”
He added that constant surveillance could erode morale and create a sense of intrusion among employees.
“There is a real risk that continuous monitoring would make staff feel their personal space is being encroached upon.”
He also highlighted technical limitations, including GPS inaccuracies, signal loss and the possibility of deliberate spoofing, which could compromise the reliability of the system.
“If human resource decisions, promotions or disciplinary actions are based on flawed data, organisations risk penalising staff unfairly or making poor strategic decisions,” he said, emphasising the need for corroborating evidence.
He also said tracking must be confined to legitimate work purposes and clearly communicated to employees, adding that excessive data collection or monitoring beyond working hours could breach ethical and legal boundaries.
Aw called for safeguards, including informed consent and transparent policies outlining the purpose of data collection, retention periods and access rights.
He said organisations must enforce encryption, strict access controls and regular audits to ensure data is used only for defined work purposes.
“Proportionality is key. Tracking should be limited to working hours and legitimate institutional needs.”
On April 15, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim directed closer monitoring of the work from-home (WFH) implementation across the public sector, including verifying the presence of civil servants working remotely.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the directive was issued to Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar following a Cabinet discussion.
Universiti Sains Malaysia associate professor Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk said an effective WFH policy depends on trust between employer and employee.
“Whatever monitoring mechanisms are used would be futile unless employees have a strong sense of duty and responsibility to carry out their tasks with integrity.”
He added that highly motivated workers and a conducive environment are more likely to drive productivity, emphasising that it cannot be achieved through coercion alone.
Azeem said as remote work has become more entrenched since the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing non-critical staff to work from home had not produced adverse outcomes.
He said WFH policies should remain flexible and grounded in mutual understanding between the government and civil servants.
“A trusting relationship is a prerequisite for a workable WFH policy. Without it, such policies will not be effective.”
