Most Malaysians are unaware of country's new digital ID card

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- The Malaysian government touts its new smart ID card with a litany of boastful slogans, like "Highly secure," "Single card, multiple solutions" and "Incredible transformation."

But the vast majority of Malaysia's 23 million people are unaware of the new card -- dubbed MyKad -- or don't know how it functions.

Take, for example, driving license data stored in the card's microchip. The card is supposed to obviate the need for drivers to carry separate license and identification documents.

Someone needs to tell the cops. Local media have reported policemen fining motorists who whip out a MyKad instead of driver's license, because the officers don't have a scanner to read the card.

"This is still the two-year pilot stage," acknowledges Mohamad Ariffin Ismail, director of the Multipurpose Card Project. "We want to help Malaysians leap" into the information technology.

About 1.2 million MyKads have been issued since the card's September launch. Eventually, they will replace the regular IDs required for all Malaysians once they reach age 12.

A 32-kilobyte microchip embedded in the MyKad holds the name, address, ID number, digital thumbprint and photograph of the owner, as well as driving license data and passport information.

Officials say it will eventually contain medical information, facilitate e-cash transactions and enable users to conduct secure Internet transactions.