KUALA LUMPUR, April 16, 2026 – The government has successfully processed all 12,101 cases of students lacking personal identification documents through the Mekar Didik Programme, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said the initiative, a collaboration between the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) and the Ministry of Education (KPM), aims to ensure no student is left behind in accessing education, employment and healthcare due to missing birth certificates, MyKid or MyKad.
“This is an outreach programme under the National Registration Department (JPN). We are targeting students who are either in the mainstream system or those who have fallen through the cracks — the majority being those who have dropped out,” he said at a media conference following the Document Handover Ceremony under the Kaunter Lorong MEKAR JPN initiative here today.
Saifuddin revealed that in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur alone, 496 students were identified as having incomplete documents, and all have been assisted.
“Today, we are handing over documents to 31 recipients — 19 from guidance schools and 12 from the Chow Kit area,” he added.
Appeal to parents: Register births on time
The minister urged parents and guardians to be more responsible in registering their children’s births within 60 days after birth (40 days in Sabah and Sarawak).
“If it is late, it can still be registered, but the process is more complicated. It must go through a panel assessment. This issue should not arise because JPN has 211 offices nationwide and runs outreach programmes like Mekar throughout the year,” he said.
He presented statistics on late birth registrations, which show a declining trend but remain concerning:
- 2023: 13,474 cases
- 2024: 12,363 cases
- 2025: 10,537 cases
- 2026 (until 31 March): 1,970 cases
For late MyKad applications at age 12:
- 2023: 4,250 cases
- 2024: 4,150 cases
- 2025: 5,032 cases
- 2026 (until 31 March): 1,355 cases
“These numbers are still high. Roughly 1,000 births per month are not registered. These are the cases we detect when they eventually come forward. Otherwise, they only surface when they are already grown up,” he said.
All cases decided; assistance for cross-border students
Responding to media questions, Saifuddin confirmed that decisions have been made on all 12,101 cases. Some were verified as Malaysian citizens and issued documents according to the law, while others were confirmed as non-citizens.
In cases of unregistered marriages (for example, Malaysian father and non-Malaysian mother), parents must first register their marriage before the child’s documents can be processed.
He also addressed the issue of 34 students along the Kelantan border (from Rantau Panjang to Jeli) who frequently cross the border illegally to attend school.
“The law requires every crossing to have valid travel documents. However, we understand the family ties in border areas. I have directed the Director-General of Immigration and the Kelantan Police Chief to assist these students in obtaining valid border passes and documents,” he said.
He stressed that authorities are not following standard procedures of arrest and prosecution, but are instead providing documentation assistance so students can cross legally at a cost of as little as RM20 (RM10 for the border pass + RM10 for photos).
“Where there is a will, there is a way,” he emphasised, while reminding the public of the threats of cross-border crimes such as drug smuggling, firearms and human trafficking along the more than 100 km border.
The Mekar Didik Programme is hoped to serve as a catalyst so that more students who previously fell through the cracks can now return to mainstream education and life.
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