June key month for upgraded identity documents – Saifuddin

‘We are waiting for June as an important transition point.’

PUTRAJAYA: June will be a key month for the rollout of upgraded identity documents, including the MyKad and passports, as the Home Ministry moves ahead with reforms under the National Registration Department (NRD).

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said the ministry had been preparing to issue new documents with improved security features, supported by wider system and infrastructure upgrades.

“We are waiting for June as an important transition point.

“That is when we will introduce key documents, whether identity cards or passports, which will incorporate the latest security features,” he said in his speech at the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly here today.

Saifuddin said the ministry had been working on the improvements for a long time and that the implementation phase had now arrived.

“At every stage, we will issue documents that are new in nature, with enhanced security features.

“We have worked towards this for a long time and now the time has come,” he said.

The assembly also saw the launch of the Sistem Pengurusan Warganegara Malaysia (mySUWa), a digital system aimed at improving the security, transparency and efficiency of citizenship-related services, particularly for Malaysians abroad.

A montage shown during the event stated that the NRD last received approval for new posts in 2013, with a new decision now secured after more than a decade as part of efforts to strengthen the department’s registration officer scheme.

The event also featured the NRD’s new authority card, which carries several security features on both the front and back.

Saifuddin said the ministry was also assessing the readiness of systems and infrastructure, particularly to ensure integration can support smoother public service delivery and movement at key entry points.

“We have come far. The system is ready, and now we want to see how the infrastructure and the major challenge of system integration can function effectively.

“For me, this is an important decision. We must make the right choice, starting with improvements to other systems,” he said.

Saifuddin also said projects involving national security should not be treated merely as ordinary development projects if delays could weaken border control.

“If a project carries major security implications, it cannot be implemented in the usual way.

“It must be seen from a different perspective. Delays in projects with security elements can compromise border security control,” he said.