SERI Calls For Prioritising Public Trust And Awareness To Boost MyDigital ID Uptake

KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 (Bernama) -- The government should prioritise efforts to enhance public awareness and trust, while strengthening the reliability and resilience of the MyDigital ID system to encourage greater adoption among Malaysians.

The Social and Economic Research Initiative (SERI), in a statement today, encouraged the government to avoid implementing mandatory registration for the digitalisation initiative at this stage.

It emphasised the need to clearly communicate both the benefits and data protection measures of MyDigital ID to the public, while simultaneously integrating meaningful services such as financial aid, tax filing, university admissions and healthcare access to enhance the value of registration.

“We must facilitate inter-ministerial system interoperability so that users enjoy a truly seamless digital experience, provide meaningful consent options, including opt-outs for non-essential services and work with civil society and community networks to improve digital inclusion and literacy,” the statement read.

In the same statement, SERI chairman Dr Helmy Haja Mydin said that Malaysia has the opportunity to become a leader in responsible digital governance, stressing that this must be approached with caution.

He noted that the goal should not be mass enrolment at all costs, but rather building a system that people trust and willingly choose to use.

“Digital identity systems can bring enormous benefits, but only if people believe they are safe, effective and in their interest. Compulsion before confidence risks undermining the very system we are trying to build,” he said.

-- BERNAMA