TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The statement made by Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo about electronic ID card (e-KTP) is shocking.

He mentioned that the server used to store the data of 250 millions Indonesians is put abroad. If this is true, this is certainly no laughing matter.

Foreign countries may misuse the secret data in the e-KTP servers for their own interests.

Data pertaining to banking, insurance, or even the recipients of the community health protection scheme (Jamkesmas), like the Health Indonesia Card program, may be misappropriated.

Officials at the Home Affairs Ministry recently corrected the statement of the Minister by saying that the server storing data are located in Jakarta and Batam Riau Islands Province. However, a team from the National Cyber Information Defense and Security Desk under the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs found that the supplier of the e-KTP chips is from India and the supplier has passwords to all the data.

The finding of the team shows that even though the server holding the data is located in Indonesia, it is not impossible that there could misappropriation to the data because the supplier is free to access abroad on the pretext of the system maintenance. The recent false KTP in India and France has reinforced the suspicion.

The forger, who is Indian national, has allegedly been involved in doing the e-KTP project at the Home Affairs Ministry.

With the finding, it is understandable if the Home Affairs Minister decided to temporarily stop the e-KTP program for two months.

Indeed, the government must even make quick moves to audit the security system of the people’s data.

An expert team must also be involved to check whether foreign vendor, be it suppliers or those in charge of maintaining the e-KTP server, has ever copied or leaked the database, which is very important.

At any cost, the state confidentiality must be guaranteed.

The government, in the brief evaluation period of the e-KTP program, must clarify the basic problem of the server and case of the forgery.

We all hope that the goal to have a single identity system that is very beneficial for the improvement of the national population administration will not end up in jeopardy.

The application of a single identity through the e-KTP will obviously significantly minimize of fraud like the one committed by tax mafia convict Gayus Tambunan: having double KTPs and a false passport. Voters or ghost voters during the general election can also be minimized.

Everyone will only have one serial number that can be used for KTP, passport, social security card, driving license, electricity and bank bill, or even taxpayer number.

The moratorium step made by the government should also be responded to by the Corruption Eradication Commission by intensifying the investigation of the alleged corruption case to the project tender worth Rp6 trillion, which allegedly involved members of the House of Representatives (DPR) and relatives of high-ranking state officials.

It is the graft case that is actually the root of various problems related to e-KTP program so far.

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