The National Registration Department (NRD) today put to rest concerns surrounding the mystery code ‘71’ found on Malaysian identity cards (ICs), saying that it refers to citizens who were born outside the country.

NRD spokesperson Jainisah Mohd Nor explained that the code was used in the past as the department did not have specific codes for the various countries where future citizens - be they children of Malaysians or those naturalised here - were born.

“We discontinued using the code in 2000 as from that year we started using specific codes to indicate where they were born,” she said when contacted by Malaysiakini .

NONE Jainisah was commenting on several weeks worth of queries from opposition parties and NGOs, particularly PAS, who viewed ICs with the code 71 with suspicion as it was not listed on the NRD’s website as an official code.

In an earlier statement today, PAS Youth’s democratic reform and mobilisation committee chairperson Suhaizan Kaiat ( left ) claimed that there are a total of 170,818 voters registered on the 2011 second half update of the electoral rolls whose ICs bear the 71 code.

He pointed out that despite discrepancies over the meaning of the code, the names were still included on the rolls and given the right to vote for the country’s elected representatives.

Of the figure, he said 42.33 percent or 72,742 were of Chinese ethnicity, split between several categories including Chinese (71,252), Hokkien (521), Teochew (375), Cantonese (292), Foochow (135), Hainanese (119), Hanghua (25) and Hokchiu (23).

Previous PAS list not included in figures

This was followed by those of Indian ethnicity, who make up 17.33 percent or 29,605 voters. They in turn were split into several categories including Indian (24,663), Indian Muslim (2,399), Punjabi (796), Sikh (639), Sri Lankan (346), Pakistani (328), Tamil (324), Sri Lankan Tamil (67), Telegu (21), Malabari (12) and Bangladeshi (10).

azlan Suhaizan, who is also Johor PAS Youth chief, noted that despite the earlier ‘Mismah-gate’ controversy - where an Indonesian-turned-Malaysian citizen named Mismah was found registered on the electoral rolls with her previous permanent resident status - Indonesians only accounted for 4.37 percent or 7,468 voters with the 71 code on their ICs.

The list of naturalised Indonesians are split into five categories, Indonesian (4,942), Bugis (1,356), Javanese (872), Banjar (240) and Boyan (58).

However, Suhaizan pointed out that Mismah, along with 1,596 others included on a list of names prepared by Selangor PAS and Pakatan Rakyat for objections, were not included in the over 170,000 identified with the 71 code.

He also stressed that the highest number of voters with the 71 code are found in three of the four Pakatan-held states and the opposition coalition’s former fifth state, Perak.

The biggest number are found in Selangor (29,758), followed by Johor (28,164), the Federal Territories (17,548), Perak (16,680), Kelantan (15,345) and Penang (12,799). Kedah has a total of 5,793 on its rolls.

“This means that Pakatan Rakyat states, including Perak and the FT, have a total of 57.32 percent or 97,923 voters whose country of birth is unknown... a large enough figure that could topple the ruling (state) governments,” he said.

Suhaizan questioned whether this was a mere coincidence, and urged NRD director Jariah Mohd Said to come up with answers.

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