Federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the current voluntary registration model for the digital ID system was a limitation that the government was looking to address.
“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,” she said.
Zaliha was responding to a supplementary question from Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran), who had raised concerns about public confidence in the initiative.
Kiandee cited the recent disruption of the autogate system at the Johor customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex, which he said was linked to integration issues, as an example of what could erode public trust.
“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,” he said.
Kiandee also noted that only 2.8 million Malaysians had registered for MyDigital ID as of the second quarter of 2025 – less than the number of those who had signed up for other government initiatives like PADU and Budi.
MyDigital ID is a national digital identification initiative developed in 2016, aimed at providing a secure and authenticated method for verifying identities online.
The system is intended for use across both public and private sectors to verify user identities during online transactions.
Zaliha said the government did not store users’ personal data, and that the MyDigital ID system used biometric and cryptographic technologies to ensure security and prevent data breaches.
She also said the government was working with stakeholders to boost adoption of the platform.
“We are encouraging cooperation with all parties, including the private sector,” she said.
Earlier, Zaliha said that the number of government and non-government systems integrated with MyDigital ID had nearly doubled to 82 since March.
She said the platform would continue expanding its use across both public and private sectors, including the financial industry where six banks have completed sandbox testing under Bank Negara Malaysia.