Public Urged Not to Rush to Replace MyKad When New Applications Open Sept 17, Says Saifuddin

PORT DICKSON, Sept 15 — The public has been advised not to rush to National Registration Department (NRD) offices to replace their identity cards when applications for the new MyKad version open on Sept 17, to prevent unnecessary overcrowding.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail clarified that the replacement exercise for the upgraded MyKad—which incorporates around 50 enhanced security features—will be implemented in phases. Existing identity cards will remain fully valid for all daily transactions.

“I would like to advise people not to rush to replace their MyKad. There are currently 24 million MyKad cards in circulation, with an average of 180,000 to 200,000 cards issued each month,” Saifuddin Nasution told reporters today.

He reassured the public that replacing the MyKad will not affect subsidy balances or eligibility, as all administrative records remain linked to existing identity card numbers.

In a related development, Saifuddin Nasution revealed that the NRD handles between 13,000 and 15,000 cases of unregistered births annually, a figure he described as exceptionally high for a nation decades past independence.

He attributed non-registration to a lack of awareness, social difficulties, and family constraints, warning that failure to register births ultimately harms children’s futures and access to fundamental rights.

“The reality is that there are still people who lack the basic knowledge that every birth must be registered, and this is still regarded as something normal,” he noted, adding that birth registration is entirely free of charge.

The minister called on parents, guardians, and members of the community with information on unregistered births to approach NRD offices for immediate assistance.

–NMT