Malaysia has begun issuing a new generation of MyKad, its national identity card, with a QR code reserved for enforcement use and additional physical security features. The National Registration Department says the code cannot be read by ordinary smartphone cameras and is not a payment function.
Issuance opened on September 17. Muhammad Asraf Sukadi, director of the department’s Identification Card Division, said the QR code is intended for enforcement agencies, including the department, known locally as JPN.
The card includes a transparent window designed to be difficult to reproduce. It also removes the Touch ‘n Go function carried by earlier MyKad cards. Cardholders can instead use a separate Touch ‘n Go card or other payment options, including smartphone wallets.
NexG subsidiary Datasonic Technologies will produce and deliver the cards. NexG says their biometric electronic Know Your Customer feature can verify a cardholder through a live facial match against biometric records.
JPN currently has authority to conduct that verification for government purposes. Wider use by other agencies would depend on approvals and inter-agency arrangements. NexG also describes potential commercial verification for approved banks, telecommunications providers and merchants.
The company describes an optional digital wallet as a value-added service offered without charge to the government or citizens. That optional service is separate from the QR code’s current enforcement use, which JPN explicitly says is not for payments.
The rollout follows Malaysia’s decision not to acquire identity-document supplier Datasonic. Datasonic Technologies remains responsible for producing the new cards as a wholly owned NexG subsidiary.
Malaysia has separately added facial verification to MyDigital ID kiosks, checking users against JPN records. MyDigital ID is a distinct digital identity service, while the current rollout concerns the physical MyKad credential.
Asraf advised people not to rush to replace their cards. They can book through JPN’s MyJanjiTemu appointment system or use walk-in services. He said the new card would not interrupt subsidy access because eligibility records are held in agency systems, rather than stored on MyKad.
People needing a new card immediately for subsidy purposes can use 40 designated JPN branches; applications at other branches can take five to seven days.
Sources: The Star, The Edge Malaysia
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
