KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 26): Amendments to the National Registration Act 1959 (Act 78) have been introduced to align the legislation with government initiatives and policies, particularly the implementation of MyDigital ID, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah.

When tabling the National Registration (Amendment) Bill 2025 for its second reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, Shamsul Anuar said the amendments are also intended to strengthen the statutory recognition of MyDigital ID as a valid form of identification.

“In this regard, there is a need to expand the collection, recording and use of biometric data in line with the required level of security and confidentiality of information, particularly for the registration of Malaysians’ identification records,” he said.

He said the Home Ministry had held engagement sessions to review the Act, including with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Security and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Communication on May 19 and July 31 respectively.

Through these sessions, he said the committees supported the amendments to Act 78 and recommended that the security features of the identity card be enhanced to prevent misuse, in addition to providing options for the card’s use in digital transactions.

Among other matters, the Bill seeks to amend Section 2 of Act 78 to introduce a new definition of biometric data, as well as amend Subsection 6(2) of the same Act to enhance the minister’s powers in making regulations.

The sitting continues on Wednesday.

For more Parliament stories, click here.

Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee