PUTRAJAYA, Sept 23 — The National Registration Department (JPN) has integrated its MyKad system with the Finance Ministry (MOF) to prevent lost or stolen identity cards from being misused to claim government financial aid.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the measure was taken following reports of lost MyKads being fraudulently used to claim the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) Appreciation Aid.
“When an individual reports their MyKad is lost, JPN immediately deactivates the card in our system. However, previously, this system was not synchronised with the MOF, meaning the deactivated card could still be used for other purposes.
“From now on, when a MyKad is deactivated by JPN, the MOF’s system will follow suit to automatically block it,” he said during a press conference after observing the JPN counter on the first day of free replacement of damaged MyKad chips today.
This initiative comes after recent news reports of a woman who claimed her lost MyKad was misused to claim the RM100 appreciation aid.
Saifuddin noted that although the number of such incidents is small, approximately 100 cases compared to over 18 million eligible recipients, the government views the matter seriously as it involves data integrity and the security of the targeted subsidy system.
He added that the integration will support the BUDI Madani RON95 (BUDI95) initiative, effective September 30, announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday.
JPN is taking proactive steps to ensure citizens replace damaged MyKads, especially those with unreadable chips, to prevent problems when claiming targeted subsidies.
"From today until October 7, JPN is waiving the usual RM10 fee to replace MyKads with damaged chips. We normally process about 30,000 replacement applications monthly, but we expect that number to rise to 40,000 due to this announcement," Saifuddin said.
The provision of this facility is estimated to cost the government RM714,660.
The minister assured the public that there are sufficient stocks of MyKad chips and most replacements at JPN Headquarters, JPN offices nationwide, or Urban Transformation Centres (UTC) can be issued within a day.
"This measure will minimise disruptions on the day the targeted subsidy is implemented. Should any technical issues arise, the MOF has a manual backup process that uses identification card numbers at the counter," he said.
