NextG lands $10M ID cards, passport contracts extension with Malaysian govt

Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs has extended four existing contracts it has with partner NextG, known formerly as Datasonic Group Bhd, all related to ID card and passport supplies.

According to an announcement reported by many local media, the contracts extended include the supply of raw cards and consumables for MyKad, MyPOCA, and MyTentera; the maintenance of card personalization centers; supply of Malaysian passport booklets as well as the provision of polycarbonate biodata pages of the travel document.

Per the announcement which was made through a filing by NextG with the Malaysian stock exchange dated July 2, the contract extensions are worth a total of 45.5 million Malaysian Ringgit, approximately US$10.7 million.

Two of the contracts concerning ID cards are overseen by the National Registration Department, while the other two related to passports involve the Immigration Department and will see no changes in their monetary value.

All four extensions take effect from December 1, but while three of them will run till May 31, 2026, the one related to card personalization centers maintenance is expected to continue till January 31, 2027.

NextG has a longstanding relationship with the Malaysian government for the supply of secure identity solutions and services with the initial award of the passport supply contract dating back to 2016. The one on polycarbonate biodata pages has been in place since 2018, while the other two on card personalisation and card supply have existed, respectively, since 2021 and 2024.

The company said in the filing that the contract extensions will bring in more earnings in its current financial year ending on March 31, 2026. The company has also been investing in identity document production infrastructure as part of its market expansion pursuits.

The latest contract extensions follow another one which was announced at the start of this year for passports.

Malaysian digital ID firm courts Timor-Leste

Meanwhile, in related ID news, Malaysian firm Zchwantech Titan Lda is hopeful it can have the chance to accompany the government of Timor-Leste on its digital transformation journey.

The firm recently showcased a national digital ID platform which it can provide for Timor-Leste during a recent visit of the country’s officials to Kuala Lumpur, NST reports.

It sold the capabilities of its secure biometrics-based digital ID system, saying it can help integrate services in Timor-Leste and contribute to the country’s digital economy transformation. It also expressed the wish to conduct a pilot in the Oecusse region of Timor-Leste for the ID system which has potential investment backing of around $13.8 million.

The idea is said to have been positively welcomed by the visiting delegation as the country hopes it can be the first in the ASEAN region to have a national biometrics-based national digital ID system.

Article Topics

biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  government purchasing  |  identity document  |  Malaysia  |  NexG Bhd  |  Zchwantech Titan Lda