One of the legacies that the British left behind is the Identity Card. Every Malaysian, from the age of twelve has to have an Identity Card, now in the form of MyKad. Until recently, that piece of document has to be carried wherever one goes. The government has relented a little and has allowed a photocopy to be carried around instead. It is against the law to have in possession someone else's MyKad.
MyKad was introduced seven years ago and 381,978 people have yet to convert their old identity cards to the MyKad. Another concern is the loss of the document for various reasons. Todate, 2,123,611 people have lost their card and this year alone, the count is, 58,839 loss cards, which means about 1,000 people lose their cards daily!
The fine for a replacement is a mere RM10 but once the new ruling comes into effect end of this year, the fine will be increased 10-fold to RM100 for the first-time loss, and RM200 and RM300 for the second and third losses to compel people to be more responsible with their MyKad. Not sure about the fine for further losses though.
However, those who lose their cards to snatch thieves and due to natural disasters, would be exempted from the fines but they must produce police reports. The disabled and senior citizens are also exempted from the fines.
What compulsory document do you have in your country?
In the USA there is no compulsory ID document, but that will change in years to come. States require a driver license if you drive, and some want people to have an ID card if they don't drive, but I don't think they can legally force people to carry one.
ReplyDeleteIn Japan I have to have an alien registration card, issued by the local city government. If I carry that, I don't have to keep my passport with me all the time, which saves wear on the passport and reduces the risk of loss or theft.
Japanese citizens have had to carry an ID card since 2002. There were big protests against it at the time.
Thanks for sharing all that, PandaB.
ReplyDeleteRegulations change as time changes. Globalisation, emigration, terrorism, education, etc., all contribute to changes. A case in point is foreign students to Malaysia are now issued with student cards which was just recently implemented.
Sometimes, I wish the world is just one big country where there is no restriction to anywhere you want to go and everyone follows one system. Unrealistic, I suppose.
I have lost my driving license, which in Singapore can serve as a IC too..
ReplyDeleteLuckily, not much of a trouble.. I paid S$25 and spent one hour .. Not bad.
Losing any personal document is a hassle. Over here, if one loses a passport, the new passport is only good for a year as my colleague found out.
ReplyDelete