KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 — A person has claimed that 999 operators had instructed them to download the new SaveMe 999 mobile application when they called the emergency number.
In a post on X yesterday that has received a million views, the person said their brother died two days ago after a medical emergency, when they were told to download the app upon calling 999.
“We called, but they told us to download the app,” said the person, in response to another who had asked whether people could directly call 999.
“I’m not blaming anyone; Allah decides matters of life and death. Even if the ambulance had arrived, it’s not certain whether my brother would still be alive. I’m just sharing this as a user because my brother died on the first day of the launch of the app. Maybe they can improve it after this.”
The Next Generation Emergency Response Services 999 (NG MERS 999) went live on November 16, replacing the MERS 999 platform.
The X user’s complaint contradicts a joint statement yesterday by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Communications Ministry, and Telekom Malaysia (TM) Berhad that one could still call 999 on the phone and that the SaveMe 999 app was merely an “additional channel” for users who need to send text messages, video, and multimedia.
TM’s earlier statement on the launch of NG MERS 999 had also said that the SaveMe 999 app merely served as an “additional option” and that the general public could still call 999 as usual.
According to the November 18 statement by MOH, the Communications Ministry, and TM, NG MERS 999 was developed by the Communications Ministry, TM, and five agencies: MOH, the Royal Malaysia Police, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Civil Defence Force, and Maritime Malaysia.
CodeBlue has requested comments from the MOH on whether it is now compulsory to download the SaveMe 999 app and that people cannot simply dial 999 for emergencies anymore.
The SaveMe 999 app requires user registration and password. The password cannot simply be “999”, but must be 12 to 16 characters long, one lowercase character, one uppercase character, one number, and one special character.
The app has a so-called “biometric” feature for login, in lieu of entering your password. But when CodeBlue tested it with an iPhone, we were required to enter the phone’s passcode instead of facial recognition.
User registration for SaveMe 999 requires verification of your email address, your full name (as per your MyKad), as well as photo verification of your identity card, besides your home address.
The app has two features: a slider button to call 999 and another to send a report. If you allow your location to be used while using the app, it will show your current location. You can choose which type of incident to report: fire, crime, medical aid, humanitarian aid, and sea emergency.
Voice notes and photos can also be attached to your report.
Many have complained about glitches with the NG999 emergency hotline, including inability to reach the service or operators taking seven to eight minutes to answer a call, besides incidents of duplicate ambulance dispatches.
Free Malaysia Today reported yesterday Sungai Ara Community Ambulance as disputing the government’s claim that issues with the new NG999 emergency system were “isolated incidents”.
The community ambulance operator in Penang reportedly said it continued to receive SOS calls for emergency care, as callers found the 999 hotline out of service.
It’s unclear what problem exactly the SaveMe 999 app is trying to solve. If it’s to cut prank calls, most Malaysians already use smartphones, rather than public payphones; one must also register for a mobile number.
TM claimed that the SaveMe 999 app accommodates people with special needs, besides featuring multimedia-based distress alerts. However, both iPhones and Android phones already have various accessible emergency SOS features.
On the iPhone, after an emergency call ends, your iPhone alerts your emergency contacts with a text message and sends them your current location. Your medical ID can also be accessed without unlocking your phone. Emergency services can also be called from Apple Watch.
Similarly, Android phones can be used for emergency SOS calls, besides sharing your location with your emergency contacts and recording video during an emergency.
Voice is also the most accessible feature for people with disabilities, rather than reading and typing on an app.
It’s unclear how smartphone emergency features can work if one is now required to download the SaveMe 999 app.
When then-MOH deputy secretary-general (finance) Norazman Ayob announced a year ago that the MOH was exploring collaborations with private hospitals to “uberise” ambulance services, the proposed app was meant to cater to a shared pool of government and private ambulances, including ambulances by non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The 999 emergency hotline only uses public ambulances.
The MOH’s thinking at that time was for the app to connect callers directly to nearby ambulances, like a commercial e-hailing service, instead of going through a 999 operator that handles all sorts of emergencies beyond medical cases.
It’s unclear if the reporting feature in the SaveMe 999 app, which allows one to choose which incident to report (medical aid, crime, or fire etc.), connects users directly to the relevant authority or if the report still ends up going to the common 999 operator pool.
