The Malaysian identity card () is the compulsory identity card for Malaysian citizens aged 12 and above. The current identity card, known as MyKad, was introduced by the National Registration Department of Malaysia on 5 September 2001 as one of four MSC Malaysia flagship applications and a replacement for the High Quality Identity Card (Kad Pengenalan Bermutu Tinggi), Malaysia became the first country in the world to use an identification card that incorporates both photo identification and fingerprint biometric data on an in-built computer chip embedded in a piece of plastic.

The main purpose of the card as a validation tool and proof of citizenship other than the birth certificate, MyKad may also serve as a valid driver's license, an ATM card, an electronic purse, and a public key, among other applications, as part of the Malaysian Government Multipurpose Card (GMPC) initiative, if the bearer chooses to activate the functions.

Other cards which are currently in use or soon to be introduced in the GMPC initiative and share similar features are:

  1. MyKid – for Malaysian citizens under age of 12 including newborns (non-compulsory);
  2. MyPR – for Malaysian Permanent Residents;
  3. MyTentera – for Malaysian Armed Forces personnel;

Etymology

The term MyKad is a compound of two words with ambiguous meanings; namely My and Kad.

My can be:

  • the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for Malaysia; or
  • the English word my

Kad can be:

  • the Malay word for card; or
  • the acronym for Kad Akuan Diri or Personal Identification Card; or
  • the acronym for Kad Aplikasi Digital or Digital Application Card.

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| 00 ||

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| 01 || Johor

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| 02 || Kedah

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| 03 || Kelantan

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| 04 || Malacca

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| 05 || Negeri Sembilan

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| 06 || Pahang

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| 07 || Penang

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| 08 || Perak

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| 09 || Perlis

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| 10 || Selangor

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| 11 || Terengganu

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| 12 || Sabah

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| 13 || Sarawak

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| 14 || Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur

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| 15 || Federal Territory of Labuan

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| 16 || Federal Territory of Putrajaya

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| 17 ||

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| 18 ||

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| 19 ||

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| 20 ||

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| 21 || Johor

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| 22 || Johor

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| 23 || Johor

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| 24 || Johor

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| 25 || Kedah

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| 26 || Kedah

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| 27 || Kedah

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| 28 || Kelantan

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| 29 || Kelantan

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| 30 || Malacca

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| 31 || Negeri Sembilan

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| 32 || Pahang

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| 33 || Pahang

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| 34 || Penang

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| 35 || Penang

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| 36 || Perak

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| 37 || Perak

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| 38 || Perak

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| 39 || Perak

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| 40 || Perlis

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| 41 || Selangor

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| 42 || Selangor

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| 43 || Selangor

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| 44 || Selangor

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| 45 || Terengganu

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| 46 || Terengganu

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| 47 || Sabah

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| 48 || Sabah

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| 49 || Sabah

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| 50 || Sarawak

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| 51 || Sarawak

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| 52 || Sarawak

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| 53 || Sarawak

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| 54 || Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur

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| 55 || Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur

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| 56 || Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur

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| 57 || Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur

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| 58 || Federal Territory of Labuan

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| 59 || Negeri Sembilan

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{| class=wikitable

! PB !! Place of birth (outside Malaysia / abroad)

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| 60 || Brunei

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| 61 || Indonesia

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| 62 || Cambodia / Democratic Kampuchea / Kampuchea

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| 63 || Laos

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| 64 || Myanmar

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| 65 || Philippines

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| 66 || Singapore

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| 67 || Thailand

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| 68 || Vietnam

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| 69 ||

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| 70 ||

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| 71 || A person born outside Malaysia prior to 2001<br>Excluding those born abroad without holding High Quality Identity Card

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| 72 || A person born outside Malaysia prior to 2001<br>Excluding those born abroad without holding High Quality Identity Card

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| 73 ||

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| 74 || China

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| 75 || India

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| 76 || Pakistan

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| 77 || Saudi Arabia

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| 78 || Sri Lanka

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| 79 || Bangladesh

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| 80 ||

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| 81 ||

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| 82 || Unknown state

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| 83 || Asia-Pacific

American Samoa / Australia / Christmas Island / Cocos (Keeling) Islands / Cook Islands / Fiji / French Polynesia / Guam / Heard Island and McDonald Islands / Marshall Islands / Micronesia / New Caledonia / New Zealand / Niue / Norfolk Island / Papua New Guinea / Timor Leste / Tokelau / United States Minor Outlying Islands / Wallis and Futuna Islands

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| 84 || South America

Anguilla / Argentina / Aruba / Bolivia / Brazil / Chile / Colombia / Ecuador / French Guinea / Guadeloupe / Guyana / Paraguay / Peru / South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands / Suriname / Uruguay / Venezuela

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| 85 || Africa

Algeria / Angola / Botswana / Burundi / Cameroon / Central African Republic / Chad / Congo-Brazzaville / Congo-Kinshasa / Djibouti / Egypt / Eritrea / Ethiopia / Gabon / Gambia / Ghana / Guinea / Kenya / Liberia / Malawi / Mali / Mauritania / Mayotte / Morocco / Mozambique / Namibia / Niger / Nigeria / Rwanda / Réunion / Senegal / Sierra Leone / Somalia / South Africa / Sudan / Swaziland / Tanzania / Togo / Tonga / Tunisia / Uganda / Western Sahara / Zaire / Zambia / Zimbabwe

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| 86 || Western Europe

Armenia / Austria / Belgium / Cyprus / Denmark / Faroe Islands / Finland / France, Metropolitan / Germany / Germany, Democratic Republic / Germany, Federal Republic / Greece / Holy See (Vatican City) / Italy / Luxembourg / Malta / Mediterranean / Monaco / Netherlands / North Macedonia / Norway / Portugal / Republic of Moldova / Slovakia / Slovenia / Spain / Sweden / Switzerland / United Kingdom-Dependent Territories / United Kingdom-National Overseas / United Kingdom-Overseas Citizen / United Kingdom-Protected Person / United Kingdom-Subject

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| 87 || Britain / Great Britain / Ireland

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| 88 || Middle East

Bahrain / Iran / Iraq / Palestine / Jordan / Kuwait / Lebanon / Oman / Qatar / Republic of Yemen / Syria / Turkey / United Arab Emirates / Yemen Arab Republic / Yemen People's Democratic Republic / Israel

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| 89 || Far East

Japan / North Korea / South Korea / Taiwan

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| 90 || Caribbean

Bahamas / Barbados / Belize / Costa Rica / Cuba / Dominica / Dominican Republic / El Salvador / Grenada / Guatemala / Haiti / Honduras / Jamaica / Martinique / Mexico / Nicaragua / Panama / Puerto Rico / Saint Kitts and Nevis / Saint Lucia / Saint Vincent and the Grenadines / Trinidad and Tobago / Turks and Caicos Islands / Virgin Islands (USA)

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| 91 || North America

Canada / Greenland / Netherlands Antilles / Saint Pierre and Miquelon / United States of America

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| 92 || Eastern Europe

Albania / Belarus / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bulgaria / Byelorussia / Croatia / Czech Republic / Czechoslovakia / Estonia / Georgia / Hungary / Latvia / Lithuania / Montenegro / Poland / Republic of Kosovo / Romania / Russian Federation / Serbia / Ukraine

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| 93 || Afghanistan / Andorra / Antarctica / Antigua and Barbuda / Azerbaijan / Benin / Bermuda / Bhutan / Bora Bora / Bouvet Island / British Indian Ocean Territory / Burkina Faso / Cape Verde / Cayman Islands / Comoros / Dahomey / Equatorial Guinea / Falkland Islands / French Southern Territories / Gibraltar / Guinea-Bissau / Hong Kong / Iceland / Ivory Coast / Kazakhstan / Kiribati / Kyrgyzstan / Lesotho / Libya / Liechtenstein / Macau / Madagascar / Maghribi / Malagasy / Maldives / Mauritius / Mongolia / Montserrat / Nauru / Nepal / Northern Marianas Islands / Outer Mongolia / Palau / Palestine / Pitcairn Islands / Saint Helena / Saint Lucia / Saint Vincent and the Grenadines / Samoa / San Marino / São Tomé and Príncipe / Seychelles / Solomon Islands / Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands / Tajikistan / Turkmenistan / Tuvalu / Upper Volta / Uzbekistan / Vanuatu / Vatican City / Virgin Islands (British) / Western Samoa / Yugoslavia

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| 94 ||

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| 95 ||

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| 96 ||

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| 97 ||

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| 98 || Stateless / Stateless Person Article 1/1954

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| 99 || Mecca / Neutral Zone / No Information / Refugee / Refugee Article 1/1951 / United Nations Specialized Agency / United Nations Organization / Unspecified Nationality

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Applications on passport

The MyKad project was developed was originally intended to have four functions:

  • Identity card, including fingerprints and photo
  • Driving licence
  • Travel document in Malaysia and several neighbouring countries. However, a conventional passport is still required for international travel: the card is aimed at reducing congestion at the border by enabling the use of unmanned gates using biometric (fingerprint) identification.
  • Storage of health information

Current applications

Four further applications were added before or during its initial release,

  • e-cash, an "electronic wallet" system intended for low-value, high-volume transactions (the maximum limit is US$500)
  • ATM integration
  • Touch 'n Go, Malaysia's toll road tolling system and also public transport payment Users can transfer an amount of money into the cards so they can just use their MyKads to purchase a ticket for bus and train rides.
  • Digital certificate, commonly known as Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), only supported by the 64Kb version (implemented by the end of 2002)

At this time, most of the functions are still not widely used because they are not widely promoted.

Future / proposed applications

The extensible design of the card may be leading to functionality creep. Further applications envisaged by the government include:

  • Frequent travellers' card
  • Merge with the Payment Multi-Purpose Card ('PMPC'), giving the MyKad credit and debit card functions that will pave the way for other financial uses

Personal identification

MyKad must be carried at all times. Failure to do so may incur a fine of between RM3,000 and RM20,000 or jail term of up to three years.

No unauthorised people, including security guards, are allowed to retain the MyKads of other people. Only those authorised by the National Registration Department, like the police and immigration officers, can do so.

For Muslim citizens, "Islam" is printed on the card below the picture of the holder. This is to help the enforcement of Sharia law which is only applicable to Muslims.

As the state of Sabah and Sarawak maintain separate immigration controls, citizens who have permanent residency in the state of Sabah and Sarawak are denoted by the letters "H" and "K" respectively on the bottom right corner of the card.

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

MyKad's Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) application allows for two digital certificates to be inserted. MyKad holders can apply and purchase the digital certificates from two of Malaysia's certification authority, MSCTrustgate.com Sdn. Bhd. and DigiCert Sdn. Bhd..

PKI allows for easy securing of private data over public telecommunications networks, thus allowing, secure electronic transactions over the Internet which include:

  • Online submission of tax returns
  • Internet banking
  • Secure email

MyKad as a travel document

thumb|Paper slip of IMM.114

Citizens from Peninsular Malaysia travelling to Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan can produce a MyKad on arrival to obtain a Document in Lieu of Internal Travel Document (IMM.114) for social and business visits not more than three months. Sabah and Sarawak each maintains a separate immigration control system, and Peninsular Malaysians are subject to immigration control in the two states and Federal Territories.

Malaysia and Brunei signed a frequent travellers cards (FTC) agreement on 10 September 2007, allowing Malaysian and Bruneian frequent travellers to register to use their national identity cards for travel between Malaysia and Brunei.

As Malaysia stopped issuing and renewing Restricted Passports for citizens from Peninsular Malaysia to travel to Singapore beginning 1 January 2005, Malaysia considered negotiating with Singapore to allow frequent Malaysian travellers to enter Singapore using MyKad. However, Singapore rejected the use of MyKad by frequent Malaysian travellers to enter the country, citing security concerns.

MyID

The MyID is a Malaysian Government initiative that implements the National Registration Identity Card Number as the sole reference number for Malaysians in their transactions as an individual with the government agencies.

Other cards with similar MyKad features

MyKid

MyKid is a chip-based children identity card or personal identification document issued to children under the age of 12. Introduced on 1 January 2003, MyKid contains features similar to MyKad except that it does not include a photograph and thumbprint biometric data. For registration of new birth, MyKid will be processed during the application for registration of birth. Children born before 2003 do not get a MyKid.

The term Kid refers to:

  • Alternative word for child in the English language; or
  • Acronym for Kad Identiti Diri or Personal Identification Card.

MyKid is issued in pink instead of blue (colour of MyKad). Visible data for MyKid in block letters include:

  • The heading Kad Pengenalan Kanak-kanak Malaysia
  • NRIC Numbers
  • Full name
  • Permanent address
  • Gender
  • Citizenship status
  • Legal ascendant(s) religion

The MyKid chip currently stores only three types of data:

  • Birth data e.g., information on legal ascendant(s)
  • Health information e.g., immunisation records
  • Education information e.g., enrolment in schools

MyPR

MyPR is an identity card or personal identification issued to residents of Malaysia with permanent resident status. All residents of Malaysia with permanent resident status are required to change their identity card to MyPR with effect from 1 June 2006. The MyPR is red and visible data include:

  • The heading: Malaysia Permanent Resident Identity Card ()
  • Full name
  • NRIC number
  • Permanent address
  • Gender
  • Permanent residence status

It's known colloquially as "IC Merah", as it has a distinctively red appearance on it.

MyKAS

MyKAS is a temporary resident identity card issued under Regulation 5 (3) of the National Registration Regulations 1990. It is green with expiry date indicated on the card.

MyKAS must be renewed within five years.

MyTentera

The MyTentera will replace the current BAT C 10 document (Malay: Borang Angkatan Tentera C 10) (Armed Forces Form C 10).

The MyTentera will be silver and feature the Malaysian Armed Forces logo at the back top-right corner. It will also contain a 12-digit military identification number similar to the NRIC Number. This identity card is only issued in Peninsular Malaysia before 2014 as POCA does not apply to Sabah and Sarawak before 2014. The brown-colour identity card system has been in existence as early as 1959 when the National Registration Act 1959 was enacted.

In 2017, the legal provisions requiring MyPoca to be issued to ex-convicts were abolished. However, there are conflicting reports suggesting that MyPoca is still in use even after its abolition in 2017.

References

Further reading

  • Knight, Will. "Malaysia pioneers smart cards with fingerprint data", New Scientist, 21 September 2001
  • "MyKid for all newborn babies soon", The Star, 26 February 2003
  • Thomas, M. Is Malaysia's MyKad the 'One Card to Rule Them All'? The Urgent Need to Develop a Proper Legal Framework for the Protection of Personal Information in Malaysia", Melbourne University Law Review, 2004
  • Krishnamoorthy, M. "Easy step to amend religion in MyKad", The Star, 23 December 2005
  • Sujata, V.P. "Applicants to be charged a fee from next year", The Star, 29 December 2005
  • "Mad rush to beat the deadline", The Star, 30 December 2005
  • "Abusive bunch forces Kepong branch to call in cops", The Star, 30 December 2005
  • Anis, M.N. "Singapore 'no' to MyKad", The Star, 6 April 2005.
  • Fadzil, M.M. "The Malaysian Experience: Implementing A National Multi-applications Citizen's Card" – see here for further details of the exact information stored on the card
  • Raja Petra Kamarudin Give them a uniform and it goes to their heads, Malaysia Today, 13 October 2005.
  • National Registration Act 1959 (Act 78) and Regulations, International Law Book Services, 15 January 2007.
  • MyKad website at the National Registration Department