JOHOR BARU: Malaysians do not need to rush to replace their old MyKad with the new version once the latest identity card is introduced on June 1, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said there is no requirement for holders to immediately change their cards.
"The law states that every Malaysian citizen must possess a MyKad upon reaching the age of 12.
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"However, the law does not state that from June 1, when the new MyKad is introduced, holders of the old cards must immediately replace them.
"Possessing a MyKad is mandatory, but it is not stated that all citizens must replace their cards simultaneously," he told a press conference after visiting the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project here.
He urged the public not to rush to National Registration Department (NRD) offices on June 1 to replace their MyKad, as more than 20 million Malaysians currently hold the identification card.
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The new MyKad, which is expected to be introduced next month, will feature 53 security elements compared with 23 on the current version.
The upgraded security features include laser engraving, ultraviolet elements, holograms, guilloche patterns, microtext, QR codes for enforcement purposes, and a chip with enhanced encryption technology.
