NRD TO GET TOUGH WITH APPLICANTS
Grace period may also be cut, says department D-G
THE National Registration Department (NRD) may soon penalise applicants who fail to collect their new identification cards (MyKad) within the given period.
Its director-general, Datuk Mohd Yazid Ramli, said the matter would be implemented after a decision was made.
He said the current penalty imposed on those who failed to collect their MyKad was only RM10, which was the cost to process the new document.
“At present, applicants will be given a temporary identification document, which expires in three months. However, based on our records, many applicants failed to collect their new MyKad within the stipulated time frame.
“As such, we may soon penalise those who fail to collect their new MyKad. We are also looking at cutting down the grace period to collect the cards.”
Yazid said this at the launch of the eighth MyKad printing hub here yesterday. Present was NRD Penang director Nur Zulfa Ibrahim.
He said with the printing hub in place, MyKad production had been shortened to five days in the peninsula and seven days in Sabah and Sarawak.
“The government has invested millions of ringgit to make it easier for our people to obtain the new MyKad. Now, it is time for the people to play their part.
“It is pointless if NRD can complete the MyKad in five days, but the applicants collect them much later.”
It was reported last year that nearly half a million ringgit was wasted in the last three years because applicants did not collect their new MyKad.
Between 2013 and 2015, NRD had to destroy 24,458 uncollected MyKad, causing almost RM500,000 in losses.
Yazid said the new MyKad could not be easily cloned due to numerous security features.
He said there had been no cases of the MyKad being cloned by individuals or syndicates.
“From the 662 arrests and prosecutions since 2014, not even one was for cloning the MyKad. Rather, the culprits produced fake MyKad 100 per cent from scratch. There has been no cases where the MyKad, which have been reported stolen, were found with a new photo or personal details.
“This is because we continuously improve the security features.”
Yazid said foreign culprits — most from the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand — would be deported back after serving their jail sentences.