The Malaysian government is considering the introduction of mandatory MyDigital ID registration, as the flagship digital transformation initiative has not gained widespread adoption among the public.

A report from The Edge reveals that [1] the Malaysian government is contemplating making the registration for MyDigital ID mandatory as a response to its low adoption rates. Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Zaliha Mustafa, [2] who is the Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri noted that by the end of June, just 2.8 million Malaysians had signed up for the national digital identity platform. Mustafa said the government is seeking [3] to address “the constraints” of the existing voluntary registration model for the digital ID system. “Right now the government is looking at the possibility of formulating an Act for MyDigital ID, to potentially make it mandatory for people to sign up,” said Mustafa.

However, Ronald Kiandee, [4] the Member of Parliament for Beluran from the Perikatan Nasional party, has voiced apprehensions regarding public trust in the initiative. He pointed to the recent malfunction of the autogate system at the Johor customs, immigration, and quarantine complex, attributing it to integration problems, as a case that could potentially undermine public confidence. “Three days ago, we were informed about a disruption to the autogate system at the Johor CIQ, which was said to have been caused by the integration system. Actually, this is a concern for Malaysians and the public regarding the initiative. There are concerns about privacy and security, the reliability of digital infrastructure and the implementing agencies, and the potential for misuse,” said Kiandee.

Charles Santiago, [5] who was the MP of Klang, has also criticized the Malaysian government's [6] mandatory digital ID plans, “If the government is planning to legislate just because people are not voluntarily doing it, then it shows the problem is with the government,” said Santiago. “The government should inspire confidence in its policies and also in the apps that it is using. We should not lose sight of that.” In March, the Malaysian government initiated a new program to automatically register children and individuals who have lost their MyKad, [7] a government-issued identity card containing biometric information. This effort aims to boost the registration rates for [8] the MyDigital ID initiative. In 2023, Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim [9] introduced MyDigital ID, but he has voiced concerns over the sluggish advancement of the initiative. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim [10] expressed frustration regarding the delays of two crucial national digital initiatives, MyDigital ID and the second 5G network, emphasizing their significance for Malaysia's digital transformation efforts. “This has caused me to lose some patience,” said Ibrahim.

Nevertheless the Malaysian government is forging ahead with ambitious plans for a digital identification system, aiming to develop a comprehensive “national digital identity ecosystem”. Central to this initiative will be [11] the MyDigital ID super-app, which claims to offer an array of features including a digital wallet. The app is designed to facilitate seamless logins into a variety of existing mobile applications, as well as enable commercial service providers to feature their offerings as mini-apps within the MyDigital ID platform.