PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry is cutting down on bureaucratic hurdles in government service delivery, with a focus on modernising the National Registration Department (NRD), says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said the ministry aims to improve outdated rules and streamline processes that burden citizens and businesses.
He added that the initiative has already made progress by reducing the processing time for late birth registrations for children under five years from three months to 45 days.
Additionally, the issuance of overseas birth certificates, known as Form A, has been expedited from 52 days to just seven days.
“This initiative is introduced to improve outdated rules and burdensome bureaucratic processes.
“Whether for daily citizen affairs or business communities, the main objective is to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, making processes easier and more efficient.
“Through this initiative, outdated regulations at the NRD, which do not match current developments, are reviewed to be more transparent, efficient and effective,” he told reporters after attending the ministry-level National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations, as well as its August monthly assembly here yesterday.
Saifuddin Nasution also said that the ministry’s “Menyemai Kasih Rakyat” (Mekar) programme continues its outreach to assist individuals in obtaining identity cards, including for Malaysians overseas.
He said that as of July 31, Mekar has successfully conducted 1,633 programmes nationwide, processing 24,863 applications.
“Instead of waiting for individuals to come to our office, we go out and find them,” he added.
For Malaysians overseas, he said that the Mekar Diaspora programme would be extended to Australia and the United Kingdom.
He said that Malaysians residing in these countries with documentation issues would not have to return home.
“Through the Mekar Diaspora initiative, we send NRD officers to countries with large Malaysian communities to provide these services directly,” he added.
The programme is scheduled to be in Melbourne, Australia from Sept 14 to 28, followed by London, United Kingdom from Oct 5 to 17.
Separately, in the Dewan Rakyat, Saifuddin Nasution revealed that more than 5,000 juvenile cases were recorded from 2023 to June this year.
He said 5,633 cases were recorded during this period – with 2,006 in 2023; 2,442 last year; and 1,185 as of June this year.
Selangor recorded the highest number of juvenile cases at 892, followed by Johor (731) and Perak (506).
“Those aged 16 to 18 made up the highest number of cases at 3,637.
“The lowest number of cases was from those aged between seven and 10, with 21 cases,” he said in a written reply yesterday.
Saifuddin Nasution also said that scams such as job scams, parcel scams and love scams remain rampant in the country, even though agencies, including the police, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Bank Negara and private sector, have undertaken continuous outreach programmes.
“Although various initiatives and awareness campaigns have been implemented through forums, social media, exhibitions and talks, the trend of online scams has not shown a noticeable reduction,” he said in another parliamentary reply.
He attributed the persistence of scams to four main factors – the constantly changing tactics of syndicates, low levels of digital literacy, the openness of digital platforms and challenges in cross-border enforcement.
He said scammers frequently use fake identities and cloned websites to deceive victims, while many people, including the young and elderly, still lack understanding of such modus operandi.
