Malaysia is backtracking on the national digital ID requirement for the transport department's app

An app from Malaysia's Road Transport Ministry caused a stir with the announcement that it will require its citizens to use the country's digital ID system from October 10 to continue using an app that provides access to vehicle tax and Driving license information possible. The mandatory use of the national digital ID card and the October 10 deadline have since been withdrawn by officials.

Malaysia launched its MyDigital ID system late last year to further develop its DPI nationwide. However, the rollout of the digital national identity was slow and the number of registered users was only 800,000. According to Twentytwo13, registrations for the digital ID rose from 465,000 in early July to 700,000 in mid-September, now that the deadline announcement has been withdrawn.

But the push continues, as the Southeast Asian country's Road Transport Ministry (JPJ) has an app called MyJPJ that drivers can use to access their information, and a pop-up message indicated that users would need the MyDigital ID Single Sign to do so. On (SSO) system starting next Thursday.

Since the Malaysian Ministry of Transport no longer requires vehicle owners to show their vehicle tax sticker, citizens can use the MyJPJ app to prove the validity of their vehicle tax. This app isn't the only way for drivers to view their driver's license and car tax information, but MyJPJ has been downloaded millions of times since its launch in early 2023.

However, the announcement of the change to MyJPJ's login system was met with strong criticism. Former deputy minister Ong Kian Ming, who was a supporter of the national digital identification system, said JPJ's move was “a really bad idea” as the system had not yet been stress tested.

“It would be better to introduce an electronic version of our passport accessible through MyDigital ID to encourage people to register and use MyDigital ID – a new product (with) new protocols,” he said, as quoted by Free Malaysia today

While the former MP for Bangi accepted that JPJ, with the largest database of active users, was an effective means of promoting MyDigital ID, he said the new login approach should not be made mandatory as the only login option to use the MyJPJ app.

The JPJ has said it will begin restricting the use of its JPJeID system, which is currently used to log in to the app. “JPJeID will continue to exist, but its use will be limited to the public portal (website) and the JPJ kiosk,” says an FAQ on MyDigital ID. The move would have made JPJ the first government agency in Malaysia to require the use of MyDigital ID to access a service.

But on Wednesday, Transport Minister Anthony Lake announced that no changes would be made to the registration requirements for MyJPJ, Bernama reports. However, the back-end integration of Malaysia's digital ID into the app will continue.

Previously, the country's Ministry of Health introduced digital ID as a way to access the MySejahtera app, but did not make it mandatory.

All government agency mobile apps will eventually use the national digital ID for logins, a MyDigital ID official said in a comment quoted by Twentytwo13.

MyDigital ID is developed by Mimos with PJBumi as an onboarding partner.

Article topics

digital government | digital ID | Government Services | Malaysia | MyDigital ID | national ID card | Single sign-on