SaveME999 Launches With Only 2 Disability Options - There Is A Reason, But Still Confusing

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Malaysia has a not-so-new emergency app, and naturally, we did what Malaysians do best, downloaded it to see how it works.

So we fired up the SaveME999 app, supposed to be the shiny and improved sidekick to the government’s NG999 system.

First of all, there’s the sign up for a new account step. Take note that the app is NOT tied to the MyDigitalID initiative so it’s just like signing up for a new thing.

Step 1: Enter email

Step 2: Verify email with OTP.

Step 3: Set password.

Step 4: Scan MyKad.

Step 5: Enter your full address, phone number, and emergency contact.

However, something at Step 1 made us scratch our heads.

There is a box you have to tick to indicate if you’re a person with disability (PWD).

Once you click the box, and before you are able to move to the next step, a pop-up appears for you to select what type of disability you have.

Only two options: “Blind” and “Deaf.”

That’s it. No “OKU physical,” no “mobility impairment,” no “others”.

This might sound odd considering the idea behind the app was to make emergency reporting easier for those with disabilities.

However, going back to 2017, when the Communications and Multimedia Ministry at the time spoke about rolling out the app, they said it would facilitate those with hearing impairment and the visually impaired to seek help from the Malaysian Emergency Response Service 999 (MERS 999), as reported by the New Straits Times.

Perhaps that is the reason why the sign-up process only recognises Blind and Deaf.

Regardless, the sign up process still serves as a head-scratcher for PWDs who are neither blind nor deaf.

Once you’re past the registration, the app opens with two giant sliders:

Slide to Call 999 (basically what your phone already does).

Slide to Send Report (very CSI Miami, you can attach photos, videos, even a voice note).

Sounds high-tech, but take note that the app needs an internet connection. You can’t sign in without it.

The “slide to call 999” feature just links to your dialer, so if you’re planning to call 999, it’s easier to dial it directly (without needing an internet connection) instead of having to get into the app, which requires an internet connection, only to be redirected back to your phone dialer. (Did you get a headache reading that?)

SaveME999 is not new. It has been quite a journey to get here and from what we managed to gather, it wasn’t a cheap journey.

Let’s go back to the year 2013. That’s 12 years ago.

There was an app called MyDistress. It allowed users to contact police in emergencies and broadcast their location using GPS. It was open to all classes of users but was limited only to Selangor but had been suspended in November 2013.

This was where SaveME999 was supposed to replace MyDistress.

Telekom Malaysia was upgrading the SaveME999 infrastructure “to ensure that it is able to cater to the expected increase in the number of alerts received from PwDs (People with Disabilities)”.

At the time, it was said that SaveME999 would be limited to PWDs to avoid congestion.

The cost to develop SaveMe999 at the time? RM1 billion.

The app was eventually rolled out, with an article in 2017 by Bernama saying it would serve as a “panic button” of sorts.

Fast forward to 2025, the previous SaveME999 apps on the PlayStore and Apple Store have been removed, and a new app emerged.

It was released in October 2025 and over the weekend, Malaysians received text messages informing them of the new app.

According to reports, this new rollout is part of the government’s upgrade of the Next Generation Emergency Response Services 999 or NG MERS 999.

They’re promising AI, caller ID, precise geolocation, digital maps, integration with agencies, and over 800 response points nationwide, double the previous coverage.

If executed well, NG MERS 999 could literally save lives.

But between the tedious sign-in, the “blind/deaf only” situation, and the internet-dependent reporting, the real question is whether SaveME999 is ready for real-life emergencies?

Or is it just another “download today, forget by tomorrow” government app?

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