PETALING JAYA: More than RM1mil in research funds was wasted on developing a Covid-19 screening and monitoring tool in 2022, which was later shelved due to copyright ownership issues, the Auditor-General’s Report (AG’s Report) revealed.
It was also mentioned that 19 prototypes of the screening tool, which was unilaterally registered under the team research leader’s name, had gone missing and a police report was lodged in October last year.
The AG’s Report 1/2026 said the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) had approved RM1.06mil in allocations to the National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia (NIBM) to develop a Covid-19 Screening and Monitoring Tool called “i-Breath” beginning January 2022.
According to the AG’s report, Clause 10.2.1 of the agreement between NIBM and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) had stipulated that the project’s intellectual property belonged to the government.
“But, checks on the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) database regarding the i-Breath project revealed that while two patents were filed under UTM, the copyright was registered under the name of an individual – specifically, the project leader,” it said on Monday (Feb 23).
It also said checks found that the i-Breath device had not been registered with the Medical Device Authority (MDA).
The AG’s Report attributed this failure to the lack of clear procedures regarding prototype asset records at the UTM Research Management Centre.
It also cited a lack of segregation of duties by the Treasury and the absence of monitoring mechanisms by both UTM and Mosti after the project was completed.
“As a result, the RM1.06mil project could not be commercialised because the government’s interests were not safeguarded as the copyright was registered under an individual’s name,” it said.
The AG’s Report also said there was no segregation of financial duties for procurement related to prototypes, clinical trials, raw materials and market analysis, involving 16 vouchers totalling RM0.89mil.
“The head of research who is also the head of department had run a ‘one-man’ show for payment purposes, such as applying for local orders, verifying delivery orders and invoices, acknowledging the receipt of goods and preparing and verifying documents at the Responsibility Center (PTJ) level,” it said.
At the same time, the AG’s Report said that out of 20 prototypes developed, only one remained in the possession of Mosti, while the remaining 19 units were missing.
“UTM has issued an instruction to its research team in October last year to lodge a police report regarding the missing 19 prototypes,” it said.
MyIPO, in response to the AG’s Report on Dec 8 last year, said two patent applications for the i-Breath device were still under substantive examination.
According to MyIPO, the examination report was expected to be issued between late December last year and late January this year.
“Meanwhile, the copyright for the device remained registered under the project leader’s name and no applications for amendments, transfer of ownership, or change of owner, had been filed since the notification date of Sept 29, 2021,” it added.
UTM’s response, which was highlighted by the AGs report, said the research team had lodged a police report at the Taman Universiti Police station on Oct 15 last year regarding the missing 19 devices.
UTM also said it will submit a full report on the project’s implementation, including an explanation regarding the status of the missing prototypes to Mosti for final closure.
The university’s Research Management Centre (RMC) also informed auditors that the project leader had registered the intellectual property under an individual name, which had bypassed UTM’s Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (ICC), which is the official body handling such matters.
“The copyright for the ‘algorithm for identification of Covid-19 using breathing pattern’ had been registered before the project even commenced,” it added.
On the project’s potential value, UTM stated that subject to Mosti’s approval, the technical findings and knowledge gained from the i-Breath development could serve as a basis for further research or commercialisation through industry collaboration.
