PUTRAJAYA, Sept 23 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution today said applications to replace damaged MyKad chips have risen sharply to around 40,000 following the government’s announcement of a temporary waiver of the RM10 replacement fee.
According to records, he said the National Registration Department (NRD) typically receives about 40,000 replacement applications monthly across all categories, with roughly 30,000 involving chip damage.
“Today, we are offering free replacement of MyKad damaged due to faulty chips, compared with the previous RM10 fee. This exemption is effective from today until October 7,” he said at a press conference during his visit to the NRD.
He said the initiative was introduced because the MyKad remains an essential identification document for citizens, particularly with the implementation of the targeted RON95 fuel subsidy beginning on September 30. This, he said, was to ensure that MyKad chips function properly.
“With this fee exemption, the government is expected to bear costs amounting to RM714,660 over the period. I therefore urge the public to take advantage of this opportunity, as the timeframe provided — until October 7 — is sufficient to replace faulty-chip MyKad at no charge,” he said.
He added that counters are prepared to extend their operating hours if there is a surge in applications and that he had already instructed department officers accordingly.
Saifuddin said his 30-minute visit to the NRD headquarters showed that services were running smoothly despite the growing number of visitors.
He said that as of 9am, the queue numbers had reached 99, but the figure was still considered reasonable.
“I had the chance to interact with members of the public from areas such as Putrajaya, Kajang, Bandar Putra and Subang. They chose to come here as all matters can be settled within a single day.
“They considered the waiting time reasonable since MyKad replacement can be completed on the same day,” he added.
