KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 — The National Registration Department (NRD) is currently printing 160,000 delayed MyKid (children's identity) cards which will be distributed gradually as soon as the process is completed.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said that parents or guardians could use the birth certificate temporarily for any business with the government or private entities while waiting for the MyKid to be ready.
"The birth certificate is a valid government-issued identification document, and government agencies and private entities have been informed to prioritise the use of the birth certificate while waiting for MyKid.
"The Home Ministry through NRD, is always committed to resolving the backlog issue of MyKid applications," he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara today.
He was replying to a question from Senator Datuk Aziz Ariffin, who had wanted to know about the delay in the issuance of MyKid for newborns in the country following the global microchip shortage.
Shamsul Anuar also assured that the MyKid issue would not recur next year as the NRD is currently in the procurement process of three million identification cards to meet the demand.
"NRD has made various efforts and has already resolved 140,000 delayed MyKid cards for 2021 and 2022. We have approximately 15,000 MyKid cards that are yet to be printed and are expected to be ready by the end of this month.
"For 2023, the procurement of MyKid supplies is in progress, with a total of three million cards that we will provide to meet the demand. This estimate is based on the annual birth rate ranging from 400,000 to 500,000,” he added.
— Bernama
