PUTRAJAYA, Jan 12 — The National Registration Department (JPN) asserted that there has been no defiance of a High Court order regarding the MyKad application of a 17-year-old teenager, stating that all actions are being carried out systematically and in accordance with the law.

In a statement today, JPN said the teenager visited the Identity Card Division (BKP) counter at JPN Headquarters in Putrajaya on January 8 to submit the High Court order.

“Following the submission, JPN provided the application forms and a checklist for late registration of an identity card to be completed by the individual as part of the process to implement the Court’s order. However, as of today (January 12), JPN has yet to receive the completed late registration forms from the teenager for further action,” the statement read.

JPN also clarified that the requirement for witnesses on late identity card registration documents is not limited to elected representatives; witnesses can also be employers, community leaders or government officers in the management and professional group.

The department emphasised its full commitment to implementing the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision and order dated December 8 regarding the issuance of the individual’s MyKad within 30 days from the date the application is made, as directed by the court.

The department clarified that while the High Court’s decision pertains to the determination of the individual’s citizenship status, its implementation by JPN must follow the existing legal framework. 

This includes requirements for identity card registration for individuals over the age of 16, which are subject to the late registration process.

According to JPN, the case does not merely involve a MyKad application but also involves document fraud during the birth certificate application made by the individual’s mother in 2008.

“The document fraud involved the illegal issuance of birth records by a medical facility, namely Taj Hospital, which has since been blacklisted by JPN. This issue was the basis for the inconsistencies and fraudulent documentation recorded by JPN before the individual’s citizenship status was brought to court,” the statement said.

Consequently, JPN stated that corrective actions and document verification must be carried out first, in line with legal provisions and registration procedures, before any identification documents can be issued.

JPN added that the department cannot simply print and issue a MyKad without completing the necessary record corrections and registration processes, particularly in cases involving prior inconsistencies or fraud while these steps are taken to ensure accuracy, the integrity of national records, and legal compliance.

“JPN consistently upholds the principle of the rule of law and carries out its national registration and documentation responsibilities professionally, transparently, and with integrity,” the statement said. — Bernama