KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is one of the three worst countries in the world when it comes to safeguarding citizens' privacy, according to a human rights report.

The National Privacy Ranking 2007 was published by Privacy International (PI), a UK-based human rights watchdog that has been campaigning against invasions of privacy since 1990.

Malaysia, along with Russia and China, came out bottom of the 70-nation poll, with only 1.3 points collected out of five.

The best country to go to if you cherish your privacy is Greece as it is the only country considered to have "adequate safeguards against abuse".

A close second was Romania. The former Eastern bloc nation garnered 2.9 points.

However, with only 3.1 points, Greece, too, falls short of the lofty standard set by PI to get a maximum rating of five and be considered a country that "consistently upholds human rights standards".

The report stated that Malaysians were not afforded the right to privacy in the Constitution and added that there was no comprehensive privacy law to protect citizens.

The Internal Security Act was picked upon for allowing "extensive police powers".

Many of the government's schemes and strategies to improve efficiency were considered invasions of privacy.

The MyKad and a plan to implement a citizen data hub containing background, education and health information across government departments have also met with disapproval.

Closed-circuit television cameras, most of which are in place to deter crimes and ensure safety, are considered to be a no-no because they have no privacy safeguards.

Commenting on the report, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Ismail Omar said Malaysia's low ranking was unbelievable.

"I think Malaysians are a happy lot and we don't need special laws to cater to our privacy.

"We are well-protected and there are sufficient provisions in the Penal Code to guard us if there is any invasion of privacy."