THERE will be a six-month delay in the issuance of MyKid for newborns following the global microchip shortage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, National Registration Department (NRD) director-general Ruslin Jusoh said.

However, he said, parents can still submit applications but have to wait a little longer because NRD will process the applications in stages according to their respective turn.

“Parents can also use the birth certificate for the daily affairs of their children who are yet to receive their MyKid because it is a valid identification document issued by the government,” he told reporters in Malacca today.

He also urged all government and private agencies to accept birth certificates for any business involving children as it is the only document recognised in important matters such as applications for school admission.

Earlier, Ruslin presented MyKad to a disabled girl, Nur Aleeya Ammar, 12, through the department’s Menyemai Kasih Rakyat (Mekar) programme in Bukit Godek, Semabok Dalam.

On the Mekar programme, he said the outreach programme for the issuance of identity documents such as MyKad and birth certificates for persons with disabilities, the elderly, bedridden patients and residents in remote areas had seen a positive impact since it was introduced in 2013.

“To date, we have processed 292,999 applications through 14,340 series of the programme held nationwide, which is NRD’s pro-active approach in ensuring that all residents enjoy the facilities offered by the government,” he said.

“In Malacca, 78 series of the programme have been held and benefited 212 applicants.”

Meanwhile, Nur Aleeya’s grandmother and guardian, Rohana Ariffin, 58, said she was grateful to NRD for implementing the programme, which made it easier for her to submit an application for MyKad.

She said the process was done by the Malacca NRD Mekar Unit personnel who came to their house on Nur Aleeya’s birthday on January 5, and she received her MyKad within a week. – Bernama, January 14, 2023.