MyKad with PKI facility
11th July 2002 (Computimes)
By Sharifah Kasim
http://www.emedia.com.my/TECH/Computimes/Highlight/20020711113835/wartrevamp

THE provision of the public key infrastructure (PKI) facility via the Government Multipurpose Card (MyKad) will signal the last stage of the card's implementation.

Director-general of the National Registration Department Datuk Azizan Ayob said the PKI application is expected to be offered by year-end and requires smartcards with 64-kilobyte (KB) chip capacity. He said as MyKad units currently come with only 32KB chip, existing holders and new applicants will need to upgrade to new cards.

Launched in 1999 and so far issued to 1.8 million holders, MyKad now offers seven applications, namely identity card, driving licence, passport information, electronic purse (e-purse), Touch 'n' Go, and recently, health information and automated teller machine (ATM).

Azizan said the health information application is ready and open for registration in public hospitals and medical centres in Ulu Langat, Seremban and Ipoh at a later date.

The decision on when the rest of the public hospitals and medical centres will come on board will be determined by the Health Ministry, he added.

Availability of health information on MyKad, according to Azizan, will provide instant information of the holder in cases of emergency and general treatment. He said the other recently launched application on MyKad, namely ATM is currently available via Bumiputra- Commerce Bank.

"We expect two more banks to come in September and five to six more either by the end of the year or early next year," said Azizan after launching the use of MyKad at Pantai Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

The use of MyKad at the hospital will involve two applications - computerised attendance record system and access control security system, according to Pantai Holdings Berhad's group chief executive officer (hospital operations division) Datuk Dr Ridzwan Bakar.

He said within two months, both systems will be in place and involve some 800 staff and 150 doctors at the hospitals.

"A staff, for example, will have to use his MyKad to record his attendance or gain access to a restricted area in the hospital. To enable both applications to work, 12 access readers and two attendance readers will be installed throughout the hospital."

Under a project worth RM73,000, the applications are developed by CSA MSC Sdn Bhd while the hardware systems are from Iris Technologies Bhd. Dr Ridzwan said in two months, Pantai Medical Centre will launch its telemedicine facility which enables sharing of health information.