I am one of those faced with an incorrect religion being recorded in my MyKad.

I applied for my MyKad sometime in February 2005 at the National Registration Department in MJC Branch, Kuching. It was then the Chinese New Year holidays and I took advantage of the holiday season to change my old identity card to MyKad. Application was a breeze as there was no crowd. When I filled up the form, I stated my religion to be "Kristian" as I was baptised in the year 2002. I was a Buddhist prior to that. The counter clerk noticed the difference in the religion and reconfirmed with me my wish to state "Kristian" as my religion in my MyKad. I confirmed the same and was given an acknowledgement receipt and told to wait for the notice to collect the MyKad. As I stay in Seri Kembangan, I requested that the card be collectable from the Seri Kembangan NRD and I duly collected it from the said branch a couple of months after that. Due to the large crowd at the Seri Kembangan NRD when I went to collect the MyKad, I did not check the details recorded in the MyKad.

Recently, I was at the NRD and took the opportunity to check my details. I found out that my religion is recorded as "Buddha" though I had specifically stated "Kristian" at the time I applied for the MyKad. I was told by the NRD clerk that all I need to do is to fill up one form and the error will be corrected.

Today, I went to the NRD branch in Maju Junction, KL at around 11.50am and submitted the form to have the error corrected. I was told that for changes to the information on religion, the MyKad will have to be replaced with a new card as it cannot be done by keying-in the details on-line. I will have to have my photograph taken again and fingerprints rescanned. This is in contrast to changes to address which can be done on-line. If changes to address can be done on-line without the hassle of replacing a new MyKad altogether, I don't know why religion cannot be changed on-line.

Next, I was informed that I have to pay a processing fee of RM10.00. I disputed this and said that I should not pay for the error of the NRD staff who had recorded the religion incorrectly. The counter clerk (Counter 13 and assisted by clerk at Counter 14) asked me when did I apply for the MyKad to which I answered February 2005. I was then told that since I had taken more than 6 months to apply to rectify the error, the processing fee will be applicable. It appears that there is a "grace period" of 6 months to rectify the error in which case, the rectification will be done free.

I was unsatisfied with the explanation given and stated that if I am still required to pay the processing fee due to the NRD's error, I shall have to lodge a complaint. The clerk at Counter 14 replied "Lu mau complain, lu complain la". Is this reflective of the NRD's piagam which reads "Kami menjaminkan layanan yang mesra, tepat, cepat dan sentiasa bersedia untuk membantu"?

I then told the clerk that when I applied for the MyKad at the NRD branch in Kuching, the processing clerk did reconfirm with me my wish to change my religion. Upon hearing this, the clerk told me that I can get the rectification done in the NRD branch in Kuching for free as it is their error. I then asked the clerk whether the NRD is the one and the same in Kuching and Maju Junction to which she replied "JPN sama tapi sebab itu salah mereka, kamu boleh pohon di sana percuma. Ini bukan salah kami". I replied that she must be kidding to expect that I return all the way to the Kuching branch to get it rectified for free. In reply, the counter clerk said "Kamu boleh pergi Putrajaya. Sana boleh tukar percuma. Sana HQ. Kita sini hanya cawangan. Permohonan kamu di sini kena bayar RM10.00". I asked her again to repeat and confirm that if I were to go to NRD Kuching (the original branch) or NRD Putrajaya, I would not be charged RM10.00 for the NRD's error and if I were to get it done here in Maju Junction, I would have to pay the processing fee. She replied in the affirmative and asked if I want to get it done. I told her that I would go to Putrajaya.

Thank you Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara Malaysia for your courteous, accurate, speedy and helpful service!