Faster MyKad processing not due to GE14, says JPN chief

National registration department's MyKad Distributed Printing Hub 'value-added programme to quicken delivery', says director-general

PETALING JAYA: The national registration department (JPN) has denied that a new programme that greatly reduces the processing period for the issuance of MyKad, had anything to do with the next general election (GE14).

Asked to comment on the need for the MyKad Distributed Printing Hub (DPP Hub), which was launched in Tawau, Sabah, yesterday, JPN director-general Mohd Yazid Ramli denied it was because GE14 was coming, saying the DPP Hub was “purely a value-added programme to quicken the MyKad delivery in a short time with low expenses”, The Borneo Post reported.

With the DPP Hub, Yazid said the time taken for processing MyKad applications would be shortened from 10 working days to five working days in Peninsular Malaysia and from 30 working days to seven working days in Sabah and Sarawak.

He added that it would also reduce the cost of courier services incurred by JPN, by an average of 28.7% to 41.30%.

Stating an example of how much such cost-savings could amount to, Yazid said in Sabah, a package weighing one kilogramme sent via Pos Laju would previously cost about RM12.25. However, such cost would be down to between RM5.69 and RM7.24 with the launch of the DPP Hub.

Yazid added that the DPP Hub would aslo bring down the overall system development and labour costs aside from the courier service fees incurred.

He also provided details of how the DPP Hub, which has already been actively in use since last month, has seen an increase in the number of MyKads issued in Sabah.

According to Borneo Post, Sabah alone has seen a 60.74% increase in the use of the DPP Hub between April 17 and May 23.

The statistics from JPN reveal that Kota Kinabalu has printed/issued 1,373 MyKad within this period, followed by Ranau (477 MyKad), Kudat (379), Tuaran (306 MyKad), Kota Belud (261 MyKad), Tawau (252) Beaufort (183), Inanam (132), Lahad Datu (116), Pitas (90) and Kuala Penyu (89). -FMT