National Cybersecurity Chief: Malaysian national ID adoption must be voluntary

The chief executive of Malaysia’s National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) and a think tank have both urged the government to rethink its recent move to consider making MyDigital ID mandatory.

The Malaysian government is looking at the possibility of bringing in legislation that makes it compulsory to register for the country’s flagship national ID program. A linchpin of Malaysia’s digital transformation, MyDigital ID has suffered from slow roll-out and adoption with registrations at roughly 10 percent of the adult population.

For it to succeed however, Dr. Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin, chief executive of NACSA, writes that “it must be built on trust, transparency, and voluntary adoption.” Writing in the New Straits Times, the cybersecurity chief’s agency has been appointed to oversee MyDigital ID, pointing out that the upcoming Cybercrime Bill will criminalize the misuse of digital identities by making impersonation and exploitation prosecutable offences.

Tackling digital scams and identity theft is a key part of the initiative. But Tajuddin appears to believe the government’s consideration of compulsory registration is misguided. “MyDigital ID is a powerful tool,” he writes. “But its strength lies in its ability to build trust, not enforce compliance.”

The NACSA leader believes voluntary adoption, driven by relevance and education, is the right path forward, highlighting neighboring Singapore as a successful case of integration rather than by mandate.

On this point, the Social and Economic Research Initiative (SERI) agrees. The Kuala Lumpur-based think tank has urged the Malaysian government to prioritize trust building and voluntary uptake. “While legislative support may be necessary in the long term, premature compulsion risks undermining public confidence in what should be a transformative national platform,” SERI said in a statement.

Chairman of SERI, Dr. Helmy Haja Mydin added that digital identity systems can bring “enormous benefits” but that people must believe they are safe and effective. “Compulsion before confidence risks undermining the very system we are trying to build,” he said.

SERI conceded that at 2.8 million registrations, MyDigital ID uptake remains “modest” relative to population size. But it said countries have seen high adoption rates without resort to legal mandates owing to tangible benefits and seamless user experiences. It highlighted India’s Aadhaar as an example and public awareness, pointing out that when people begin to see the helpfulness and benefits, they will “come on board without being forced.”

However, it cautioned against overpromising digital initiatives as issues that may arise with data accuracy and usability could leave lasting reputational damage, as happened with PADU (Pangkalan Data Utama). “Every failed or rushed rollout comes at a cost — not just in terms of wasted resources, but in eroding the very trust we need for future reforms to succeed,” Helmy warned.

Instead, SERI recommended investment in public awareness and education in explaining MyDigital ID’s benefits, integrating meaningful services such as financial aid and tax filing, facilitating inter-ministerial system interoperability, providing meaningful consent and working with civil society and community networks for promoting digital inclusion and literacy.

But its takeaway message was clear: “The goal should not be mass enrollment at all costs, but building a system people trust and choose to use.”

Article Topics

digital government  |  digital ID  |  government services  |  Malaysia  |  MyDigital ID  |  national ID