Consumer associations have urged the government to reconsider the new heavier penalties imposed on those who lose their identification cards (ICs) because of negligence.

National Consumer Complaints Centre board member Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah said the Home Ministry should identify reasons people lose their MyKads before deciding on new penalty rates.

“What are the reasons? Are those who lose their cards victims of snatch theft, robbery, flood or accidents?”

Eventhough the steeper fines were to deter negligence and avoid syndicates from abusing the MyKad, Sha’ani said, the excessive penalty coul lead to other problems.

“In (the Home Ministry’s) announcement, they said the new penalties would not be applicable to victims of crimes or natural disasters.

“This may lead people to commit other offences, such as lodging false reports, to avoid the penalty. Some might not replace their MyKad because it costs too much.”

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association secretary general Datuk Paul Selvaraj said the government should take into consideration the average income of Malaysians.

He said although there was a need to penalise those who regularly lost their ICs, the government should focus on educating the public through programmes that nurtured a sense of responsibility among Malaysians.

“The government should organise more programmes to educate people to be more responsible with their ICs.”

Home Ministry deputy secretary-general (security policy) Datuk Seri Adenan Ab Rahman had announced that those who lost their ICs would face stiffer penalties effective Thursday.

Those who applied to replace their ICs for the first time will be charged RM 100. They will be charged RM 300 for a second replacement and RM1,000 for the third and subsequent replacements. The current fees to replace ICs are RM100, RM200 and RM300 for the first, second and third and subsequent replacements.

Source : New Straits Times – (12 October 2015, Monday)