By P Aruna, The Star

PETALING JAYA: Your MyKad may be safe in your wallet or handbag. But is it usable?

Over a million MyKad holders reported faulty chips last year after the cards were rejected at banks and at the Immigration Department, Road Transport Department, Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and PLUS Bhd, among others.

The MyKad is used in situations that require identification and authentication of the card holder's personal details such as the fingerprints.

Newer versions of the MyKad also have ATM, MEPS cash and Touch 'n Go features.

The National Registration Department (NRD) confirmed yesterday that chip failure was the main cause of MyKad replacements.

Of the 2,158,621 applications for MyKad replacements received last year, 1,018,698 were due to faulty chip.

NRD director-general Datuk Alwi Ibrahim said he viewed the matter with deep concern, saying the NRD would introduce an improved version of the MyKad chip by July.

“The MyKad is more complex because it has many applications compared to bank cards which would be for a single purpose,” he said.

Alwi said there had also been cases of holders reporting that the MyKad chip had fallen off.

The NRD offers a 12-month “warranty” for the MyKad which begins from the date the card is issued to the applicant.

If the chip is found to be damaged within the one-year period, it will be replaced at no charge.

The holder has to pay RM10 to replace the card after this period.

NRD public relations officer Jainisah Mohd Noor said records showed that more men reported MyKad with faulty chips, adding that this could be due to the cards being kept in wallets in their back pockets.

Vijay Kanna, 25, said he discovered that his MyKad was faulty when he applied for a border pass to attend a university programme in Songkhla two years ago.

Journalist Jonathan Fernandez, 25, said he found out about his faulty MyKad when he went to open a bank account.

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