KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Iris Corporation Bhd, the company producing multi-purpose smart cards called MyKad for the Malaysian government, is expected to make available 64-kilobyte cards for use beginning in November.
According to a report in The Star, the higher capacity cards will replace replace the current 32-kilobyte cards in use for MyKad.
The higher capacity will enable more features and applications to be loaded into MyKad, which currently includes seven applications: identity card, driving license, passport, personal health record, electronic cash, Touch 'n' Go payment (mobile phone) and ATM card.
The next application planned for MyKad is the ability to load digital certificates onto the card. The use of digital certificates will enable MyKad holders to make digitally signed authenticated transactions over the Internet. MyKad is launching a public key infrastructure (PKI) feature to support the use of digital certificates.
Beginning in 2003, Malaysia's National Registration Department (NRD) will introduce a mobile service in all states to process MyKad applications.
According to The Star, two buses will be allocated to each state to take the service to housing estates and densely-populated areas while four-wheel-drives will be used to reach remote areas. The NRD also plans to rent space in shopping complexes and visit public exhibition areas to process applications.
"We want to make it convenient for the people to apply for MyKad. All they have to do is to bring their identity cards and driving licenses and we will process the applications without them having to fill up any papers," NRD director-general Datuk Azizan Ayob said at an Oct. 24 press conference.
Azizan said the government wants to issue 17 million cards. So far, cards have been issued to 2.6 million Malaysians. The NRD expects to process about 15,000 MyKad applications daily from next year, with its added efforts to reach the public.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamed had announced during a recent speech that all Malaysians would be in possession of the MyKad by 2005.
