You don’t need to rush to get the new MyKad—your old IC still works fine

Malaysia’s new generation MyKad has officially started rolling out this month, but before you rush to book an appointment at the National Registration Department (JPN), here’s the good news: you don’t actually need to replace your current MyKad immediately.

You might’ve seen WhatsApp messages forwarded from well meaning relatives about how we’ll need to replace your IC right away, but that’s not the case. Despite the introduction of the new card from 1 June 2026, JPN has repeatedly stressed that existing MyKads remain fully valid for all official purposes, including identity verification, government transactions, subsidies and financial assistance.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has previously clarified that Malaysian law only requires citizens aged 12 and above to possess a valid MyKad. It does not however require existing cardholders to immediately switch to the new version once it’s introduced.

Instead, the government is adopting a phased replacement programme over the next three years to avoid overwhelming JPN branches nationwide. The main group of Malaysians required to get the new generation MyKad will be those who have the older KPP, KPT and MyKad version 1 identification cards; basically if your IC doesn’t have the ‘ghost image’, you’ll want to get the new MyKad within three years. Of course, if your MyKad is damaged, you’ll need to replace it too.

In fact, JPN has already announced that for new MyKad applicants, they may not even get the new generation MyKad anyway, as they need to exhaust their existing MyKad stock first.

As for what makes it a ‘new generation’ MyKad, while it looks familiar at first glance, the new MyKad receives its biggest security upgrade since the card debuted more than two decades ago.

According to JPN, the new card introduces 53 enhanced security features, making it significantly harder to counterfeit or tamper with. Among the improvements are a new polycarbonate card construction for improved durability, laser engraving technology, more advanced anti-counterfeiting elements, improved digital verification capabilities and updated security printing techniques.

For most users though, day-to-day usage remains exactly the same. The improvements mainly benefit identity verification and fraud prevention rather than introducing new consumer-facing features.

Also, in case you were wondering the processing fee that you’ll fork out for the new MyKad remains at RM10, despite it actually costing the government about RM40 per card. As revealed by the Home Minister in parliament, the contract for the new MyKad is set at RM40 per card and the government expects it will cost them about RM120 million per year. That being said, the real cost will depend on the number of cards issued, as it’s on a pay-per-card contract.

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