KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 717 arrests were made between 2020 and 2024 in joint operations by the National Registration Department (NRD) and various enforcement agencies to combat identity card forgery and the unlawful possession of another person’s identity card.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said that of those arrested, 320 individuals had been charged in court under Regulation 25(1)(e) of the National Registration Regulations 1990.
He emphasised that the ministry would not compromise with any party, including officers involved in the crime, whether in selling or possessing another person’s identity card.
“We have strict procedures, governance, and regulations. Any officer found guilty of wrongdoing will face action. There is no compromise on this matter, as identity cards are crucial national documents, and we take the country’s identity protection very seriously, especially regarding unauthorised issuance,” he said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Shamsul Anuar was replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah) who had wanted to know about a specific timeline for the Home Ministry to take more aggressive action in tracking down individuals, including officers, involved in passport and identity card syndicates.
Additionally, he said that the ministry, together with NRD, is planning to introduce a new identity card structure equipped with enhanced security features to keep up with the latest technological advancements.
“The purpose of the new identity card is to make it more difficult to forge and to protect national security from forgery syndicates,” he said.
He added that the ministry is also conducting a study on the country’s data privacy infrastructure before introducing the new identity card.
