your say 'How can the EC records be more updated than the NRD's if EC is supposedly to depend on the data from NRD?'

NRD shields itself, blames outdated database again

Tkc: Whether it is green, red or blue ICs, it is easy for the National Registration Department (NRD) to update the status of the applicants by tapping a few keystrokes and amending the application forms retrospectively if challenged.

However, the one document that is difficult to fake is in the area of dual-citizenship. Since Malaysia does not permit dual-citizenship, the PR (permanent resident) applicant has to renounce his/her citizenship in his/her country of birth before he/she is given Malaysian citizenship.

The renouncement of citizenship would require documentary proof from the government of the foreign country. So NRD, since most of us do not believe a single word that you said, could you prove us wrong by producing documentary evidence that Yusnati Haris Lakmana had surrendered her Indonesian citizenship.

Since you are at it, could you also produce similar documents with regard to Mismah and all the other "instant citizens" that have been reported by Malaysiakini ? And please do not tell us that your dog has eaten those documents.

Joker: Yusnati's citizenship was apparently granted in 2008 - that's three years ago. The IT department of NRD did not do anything for three years?

How can the Election Commission (EC) records be more updated than NRD's if EC is supposedly to depend on data from NRD?

Anonymous_4196: NRD and EC, please stop giving excuses and blaming each other. Isn't it your role to ensure that both the national registration records and the electoral roll are up-to-date and clean.

Don't you have people cross-checking regularly to ensure that this kind of problem doesn't occur?

Disgusted: NRD and EC are in cahoots with BN to register Indonesians, Filipinos, Bangladeshis (mainly Muslims) as citizens and voters to help BN win and hold on to the government after the next elections.

Every time an issue like this is brought up, NRD quickly covers up, saying it is a mistake and that the person has already been granted MyKad and citizenship.

It seems so easy for Indonesians, especially unskilled workers, to get citizenship when there are thousands of Malaysians born here and are unable to obtain citizenship because they did not register at birth due to ignorance.

There are also many non-Malay foreign spouses (including highly qualified ones) who are denied citizenship despite one spouse being a citizen and so too are their children.

Kgen: Is the NRD saying that each entry into the database has to be done manually? This is hogwash. What is the use of the online database at NRD counters?

The explanation by NRD is totally unacceptable. If the updating of the computer database is automatic, how can the database be outdated for an event in 2008?

This looks like a stop-gap explanation to fool the public. The truth is that a green card holder was allowed to register to vote and upgraded to citizen after being discovered.

Perhaps this could be a good trick for permanent residents and green card holders to get instant citizenship - register with EC by pledging to vote for BN, then tip off the opposition.

Concern Citizen 1M: From IT (information technology) perspective, NRD's statement is totally unacceptable.

There were some instances where the registration counter was closed due to servers down. As such, the system is centralised, and for a centralised system to be out-of-date, they must surely be joking.

Lexicon: The NRD did not bother to update its IC database because it sees no need. The ICs were issued not because the NRD wanted to recognise the validity of new citizenship, but because Umno was desperate to produce new, Umno-friendly voters after the shock setback of 2008.

It's obvious that the only database that matters to the Umno government is the EC voter register, so the NRD takes no real interest in ensuring its statistics are accurate.

I Wonder: I suspect that the data for that particular person was not updated since 2008 because they didn't really have any intention of giving that person citizenship (or maybe using this as a bargaining chip with that person in return for her vote).

All they wanted was a name in the EC roll, but now that they have been found out, they have no choice but to give her citizenship.

Artchan: The NRD appears to be a punching bag for the EC - it has been blamed over and over again for "errors" in its computer system.

Normally when another department is blamed, the director general of that department must check and clarify, and defend his department.

That there is not even a whimper from NRD merely reinforces our perception that NRD is in cahoots with the EC to cheat Malaysians.

IloveBN: The buck has to stop somewhere. I think the government should engage DAP and PAS officials to clean up the electoral roll instead of keeping those lame staff in the EC and NRD.

This is a total disgrace and the whole world is watching. I hope someone is keeping track of all the fumbles and excuses, compile them in a book and circulate it among the rural folks

Anonymous_3da6: It looks like the database in all our government departments are not up to date and/or inaccurate. How can an important database like this is be so outdated?

This is an online system and not a batch system. Even if it is a batch system, it doesn't take years to update.

So how do we trust that the computer systems and database are as good as it should be. There seems to be many copies of the databases, but no one single correct version. This is very scary.

 


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