NRD system to be tightened
PUTRAJAYA: The National Registration Department (NRD) has proposed to the government to establish a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) data bank and that information be included in birth certificate in order to prevent leakage in the long run, Home Affairs Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in a statement yesterday.
He said it was among the measures recommended as an immediate improvement and strategies to streamline the NRD’s delivery system, including tightening its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
Muhyiddin said the recommendations were made at the meeting chaired by the ministry’ secretary-general Tan Sri Alwi Ibrahim on September 18 following reports on the illegal issuance and sale of Malaysian identity card (MyKad) and birth certificate to foreign nationals in Penang recently.
Among other measures are to immediately terminate the late registration of birth at all state NRD offices and to make it compulsory for it to be done only at the department’s headquarters to ensure checks and balances,” he said.
The minister said the ministry would also increase the frequency of spot checks at all JPN divisions, including its vendors to ensure compliance with its SOP.
The level of security would also be enhanced in stages so it cannot be accessed easily by all officers, but instead, only through verification from top officials, Muhyiddin said.
The move would also involve a rotation of NRD officers to prevent them from being at the same position for more than two years so as to minimise abuse of power; and a review of all unclaimed birth certificates so that they can be deactivated from the system to avoid misuse.
“I wish to stress that the ministry will not protect any government officers involved in the MyKad syndicate and that it has given full power to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to investigate the case and take legal action against the country’s traitors.
“At the same time, the ministry will not compromise the dissemination of lies and fake news, and at the same time, warns of stern action against those who continue to do so,” he said. – Bernama