Our national identity card - MyKad - is regarded as the world's first smart identity card. MyKad is part of Multimedia Super Corridor's flagship applications. The 'Public Key Infrastructure' facility in MyKad enables users to conduct secured electronic commerce and transactions using a digital certificate over networks such as the Internet.

The newer versions of MyKad can also be used as a Touch 'n Go card, where we no longer need to carry another dedicated Touch 'n Go card for our toll payments and LRT rides. However, a recent incident occurred to one of my friends that has triggered a question of whether it is a smart choice to use MyKad as a Touch 'n Go card as well.

My friend was robbed by several foreign immigrants while she was on her way home from work. She lost her mobile phone, credit cards, driving licence and MyKad and cash. She has a considerable amount of money stored in her MyKad as she's used it as a Touch 'n Go card too.

When she approached Rangkaian Segar Sdn Bhd (the operator of Touch 'n Go) to request for a balance refund for her stolen Touch 'n Go-enabled MyKad, she was told that it was not possible for a refund to be made, even after she produced a copy of a police report made with regards to her robbery incident. Ironically, she was able to check on the Touch 'n Go balance of her stolen MyKad, but no refund.

The Touch 'n Go operator said that effective Aug 18 2005, they will only refund the last card balance of a lost/stolen Touch 'n Go card. However, my friend was informed that the refund policy is only applicable to normal Touch 'n Go cards, not for the Touch 'n Go-enabled MyKad.

There are currently nine government applications and 28 commercial applications available through MyKad. And more applications are expected to be added soon. In order to encourage more Malaysians to use MyKad for various purposes, bureaucratic hiccups such as above should be addressed.

I, for one, will not want to load some money onto my Touch 'n Go-enabled MyKad if refunds will not be made if my MyKad is lost or stolen.