Minister for Communications and Multimedia, Gobind Singh Deo said his ministry is looking to develop a system to determine trust online. It is not designed to replace the MyKad, and it is not mandatory for everyone to get a digital ID.

Giving the example of current systems in place, if a person were to apply for a membership in an organisation, he/she would be asked for a copy of their MyKad. Citing this as “not an example of trust, nor is it verifiable”, Gobind said that “In comparison, this is what a national digital ID can offer: You could apply to be a member of that organisation by registering your application using the national digital ID. This would be a trusted and verifiable platform.”

This would be the government’s second attempt at a digital identification method, the first being attempted by the previous ruling government. In that attempt, RM50 million was awarded to a company called TriCubes Bhd, but the project did not get off the ground and ultimately, the company was delisted in 2012.

We will be looking forward to seeing what the government will be able to achieve to bring this project to light, as a digital trust identification will go a long way to spur technological progress.