Last year, the government announced that the MyKad identity card would be updated starting June 2026, with it receiving various latest security features in line with the changing times since the last update in 2012.
The Director-General of the National Registration Department, Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias, yesterday revealed that the new MyKad would have 53 security elements. This is an increase from only 23 on the current version of MyKad. In addition to MyKad, MyPoCA and MyTentera will also be updated with the new version.
But at the same time, the Touch ‘n Go card integration will no longer be included in the new MyKad. This is an important feature for those who store credit in MyKad for transportation purposes or simply as a backup cashless system in emergencies.
Among the new features that will be used are laser engraving, ultraviolet light elements, holograms, micro text, QR codes, chips with enhanced technology and guilloche patterns (called giloshay) to make it more difficult to counterfeit.
Identity cards in paper format were introduced in Malaya in 1948, Sarawak in 1949 and Sabah in 1963.
