National Registration Dept ensures strict controls in MyKad issuance, no integrity breaches in 25 years, says D-G

GUA MUSANG, Oct 13 — The National Registration Department (JPN) has assured the public that stringent measures are implemented to prevent MyKad from being issued to unauthorized individuals. Director-General Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias revealed that no staff member has deliberately issued valid MyKad to unauthorized parties since the introduction of MyKad over 25 years ago.

All security checks and quality controls are strictly enforced to ensure damaged identity cards are identified and not arbitrarily replaced, he informed Bernama. Addressing concerns about MyKad issuance integrity, Badrul Hisham highlighted that the MyKad production adheres to ISO standards, and security enhancements are in place to deter forgery.

He clarified that while the card is still made of polycarbonate, its technology and security features have been upgraded. Chip failure is not solely due to manufacturing defects but can also result from improper handling or storage by users. The new MyKad's blue color tone is purely for design purposes and not indicative of any specific meaning.

Introduced last June, the updated MyKad boasts 53 security features compared to the 23 in the previous version, including laser engraving, ultraviolet elements, holograms, guilloche patterns, microtext, Quick Response (QR) codes for law enforcement, and an enhanced chip with stronger encryption.