THE CICAK.com

MyKad, a necessary inconvenience

By KEITH LEONG

I have nothing against MyKad, and found it strange that countries like Australia do not issue similar identification cards.

The Hawke government failed in their attempt to issue “Australia Cards” in the 1980s. Citizenship in Australia is proven through documents like birth certificates and drivers’ licences.

Could such a system work here? I think it’s unlikely - my birth certificate, for example, is a yellowing sheet of A5 paper bearing the legend Negeri-Negeri Tanah Melayu.

It tickles me to no end that the proof of my existence was issued by a political entity that technically no longer exists, especially since I was born in Melaka - a Negeri Selat, thank you very much.

I think MyKad therefore has become a necessary inconvenience that Malaysians have gotten used to. However, there are valid objections to any national identification system. In point form, the main ones include:

• MyKad records one’s religion, gender and location. Again, the question is whether governments have the mandate to collect such information. Does the state have the right to compartmentalise its population in such a manner? Is there any remedy available to citizens who wish to protect their information, or who do not fall into the set categories of religion and/or gender? Or must they disclose their identities without exception? This scenario is very similar to the dilemma transgendered Malaysians face when it comes to determining whether they are “maleâ€? or “femaleâ€? on their MyKads. While some people contend that Malaysians are not ready to accommodate such people, I put it to you that every person has the right to be identified in the closest (if not exact) manner to how he or she chooses. MyKad, with its stated objective of identifying each and every Malaysian citizen, has failed if it is unable to do this.

• It seems that rather than ensuring security and stability, identity cards have actually led to an increase in crime. We are told of MyKad forgery rings being detected and smashed. Allegations that illegal immigrants have been issued these cards with relative ease have also stirred up communal tensions in certain areas of Malaysia.

• Identity cards, especially in Malaysia, are essential for someone to enjoy the benefits of citizenship like voting or education. This leads to two questions: firstly, can people who are unable or unwilling (for whatever reason) to obtain MyKads partake of such privileges? The plight of undocumented Malaysians, as highlighted by the media, suggests that this is emphatically not the case. The second question, therefore, is if it is moral to deny such people their rights simply because they do not have a MyKad, often through no fault of their own.

• Another fundamental question is whether governments have the constitutional right to issue registration or identification documents. In other words, does a country’s constitution, which delineates the powers of its government, give it the power to register its citizens? (NB: The Government of Malaysia, incidentally, is empowered to issue such documents. See Article 30 of the Federal Constitution, Certificates of Citizenship). If not, is that government then in violation of its own Constitution? Some proponents of individual liberty contend that governments simply do not have the right to document its population. This is regardless of how benevolent its intentions or how compliant its people are.

• Lastly, many see MyKad and its predecessors as a relic of British colonialism. Identification documents were issued on a nationwide scale in Malaya during the height of the Emergency to reduce the incidence of Communist infiltration in civilian areas. Some now wonder why the government still sees the need to issue such cards long after the insurgency has ended.

As mentioned earlier, I have nothing against MyKad and would feel rather indifferent if it were maintained or abolished.

But we Malaysians musn’t blindly oppose or accept this. We need to think critically about national policies that affect us.

The current generation seems to have accepted MyKad. The next might not.

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KEITH LEONG is a contributing writer for theCICAK.

He was born in Melaka, grew up in Damansara Jaya and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New South Wales, Sydney. He enjoys baroque music, grand epic movies and long walks. He still lives and works in Damansara Jaya.