Vital document: Badrul Hisham (left) handing over replacement MyKads to Mohd Noor in Kampung Gong Tunga, Bachok. — Bernama
BACHOK: Parents of children with special needs are advised to ensure that their children’s births are registered so they can obtain a MyKad or identity card and be eligible for various government assistance initiatives.
National Registration Department (NRD) director-general Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias said the department remained committed to assisting eligible individuals in obtaining a MyKad through various community-friendly programmes.
“Regardless of a child’s condition, normal or with disabilities, it is important to register their birth.
“Once they have an identification document, they can enjoy all government assistance benefits directly.
“NRD is tireless in its efforts to assist both rural and urban communities in need of our services, as we are determined to ensure that all eligible citizens receive this identification document,” he said after the “Menyemai Kasih Rakyat” (Mekar) programme in Kampung Gong Tunga here yesterday.
He said that as of December this year, the department had carried out 3,300 Mekar programmes nationwide – including 200 in Kelantan – involving nearly 100,000 applications, Bernama reported.
During the programme, Badrul Hisham handed over replacement MyKads to two siblings with learning disabilities, Mohd Zaimi Mohd Noor, 48, and Mohd Zulkufli Mohd Noor, 29, who faced transportation difficulties in getting to the NRD office.
He said the two siblings are from a family of five children with disabilities who had mostly stayed at home since childhood and required close attention. This made it difficult for their father, Mohd Noor Mohd Zain, 70, to take them out.
“We hope that the replacement MyKads will help these families obtain other assistance they are eligible for, thereby reducing their burden,” he said.
Badrul Hisham expressed hope that all parties, including community leaders, non-governmental organisations and the media, would provide relevant information to NRD to ensure that all eligible citizens receive a MyKad.
