KUALA LUMPUR: The National Registration Act 1959 (Act 78) will be amended to tackle MyKad forgery, according to Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He stated that the government is finalising the amendments, which are scheduled to be tabled in the current parliamentary session.
"The amendments to the Act will, among other things, include provisions for offences that can be compounded.
"These compoundable offences will be detailed and amended under the National Registration Regulations 1990 once the amendments to the National Registration Act 1959 are approved," he said in a written parliamentary reply on Thursday (July 24).
He was responding to a question from Wan Razali Wan Nor (PN-Kuantan) regarding whether the government plans to increase penalties under the Act and the total number of forgery cases to date.
Saifuddin reported that, according to the National Registration Department, from 2022 to 2024, there were 778,500 cases involving loss due to negligence, 3,422,022 cases involving damage, and 138 cases involving document forgery.
"The government takes the issue of MyKad forgery very seriously, as it pertains to national security and sovereignty and can undermine the citizen identity management system.
"The National Registration Department continuously collaborates with enforcement agencies such as the police, the Immigration Department, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to combat document forgery activities," he added.
Currently, Regulation 25(1)(e) of the National Registration Regulations provides for a penalty of imprisonment not exceeding three years, a fine not exceeding RM20,000, or both, for the offence of using a fake identification card.
