PUTRAJAYA: Authorities have detected cases of lost MyKad being misused to claim the RM100 one-off Rahmah Basic Assistance (Sara) aid, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said his ministry has detected about 100 cases of abuse involving lost MyKad.
"Once a MyKad is reported lost or stolen, the National Registration Department (NRD) immediately deactivates the card in its system," he told reporters after visiting NRD headquarters here on Tuesday (Sept 23).
"However, the Finance Ministry manages a separate system, which requires synchronisation with NRD’s database.
"If this (synchronisation) does not happen in time, the deactivated MyKad may still be used for claims or transactions (through the Finance Ministry system)," he added.
He said the authorities have since traced the locations of the cases and taken immediate steps to rectify the loophole.
"All necessary measures have been taken to ensure this does not recur. Both systems are now being closely monitored to prevent any further exploitation.
"As part of enhancements, the MyKad deactivation will be (automatically reflected in) other databases to ensure that once a card is deactivated, its use (for any purpose) is blocked.
"The measure is expected to prevent misuse of deactivated cards, including attempts to gain unauthorised access to facilities or services," he added.
Saifuddin Nasution said the process of deactivating a MyKad will be carried out with the utmost care to safeguard sensitive personal data.
"The issue of abuse (of lost MyKad) is a serious matter. The fact that it happened at all is what matters. We need to focus on what improvements can be made," he said.
Some 18 million Malaysians are eligible for the aid.
