Malaysia’s biometric registry project faces fierce criticism

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The Malaysian government has announced plans to introduce the National Digital Identification System (NDI), a biometric registry database in 2022. The database is intended to store the personal and biometric data of all Malaysian citizens.

The decision has drawn strong criticism from opposition leaders and some MPs, according to Eurasia Review.

Along with concerns about the security and privacy of personal data, the plan has been criticized for its allegedly huge costs and the lack of explanation as to why similar approaches have failed in the past.

There are also concerns that the biometric registry scheme in Malaysia is reminiscent of a CCTV surveillance system used by the neighboring Thai government in three of its provinces which have suffered violence linked to an insurgency by Thai Malaysians.

Details regarding the digital ID system project are contained in a document called the Twelfth Malay Plan, according to Eurasia Review, adding that the database will contain information about citizens such as their full names, pseudonyms, as well as the facial biometrics and fingerprints.

The plan says the data will be linked to government departments, ministries and departments, including tax and lawyer offices, the social welfare department, the electoral commission, the national higher education fund company, the labor department, the health ministry, vehicle registration. service, immigration and courts, Eurasia Review describes.

Despite criticism, the Malaysian government postulates in the plan that the digital ID project will facilitate and streamline access to a wide range of government services online, and also help fight fraud.

In December 2020, the country’s government declared that it would make the protection of citizens’ data a priority in its implementation of the national digital identification framework.

The new plan is expected to start after the personal data protection law is due to be amended by parliament to clarify certain sections on data privacy and rights protection, according to the Eurasia Review report.

Articles topics

biometric database | biometrics | data protection | digital identification | digital identity | fraud prevention | government services | Malaysia | ID card

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