KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — The act of selling Malaysian identity card (MyKad) and birth certificate to foreign nationals is treason, a serious crime against the country, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said the ministry would not compromise with any quarters who had directly or indirectly conspired in this crime.

"I have instructed the National Registration Department (NRD) director-general (Datuk Ruslin Jusoh) to give full cooperation to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in the investigations of such cases.

"The ministry is responsible for identity card application process in Malaysia. The existing process is clear and all complete applications will be processed fairly,” he posted on Facebook today.

Muhyiddin also advised the public to follow the right procedures in obtaining the documents and never to try to get it through the illegal channels.

Members of the public with information on the syndicate involved in the illegal issuance of the documents are requested to channel the information to the police.

Muhyiddin’s posting came in response to the arrest of 20 individuals, including a senior NRD officer, for alleged involvement in the issuance of MyKad and birth certificate illegitimately.

On Thursday, six people, including an assistant director of the Penang NRD and a businessman with the "Datuk” title, were charged in separate Sessions Courts in Penang with 32 counts of offences in connection with the issuance and sale of MyKads to foreigners. — Bernama