KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Parents and guardians have been urged to be more responsible and aware of their obligation to register their children’s births to avoid documentation issues in the future.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said although late birth registration statistics show a declining trend, the number of cases recorded annually remains significant.
“In 2023, a total of 13,474 late birth registrations were recorded, followed by 12,363 cases in 2024 and 10,537 in 2025. As of March 31 this year, 1,970 cases have been recorded,” he said at the presentation of “Mekar Didik” documents at Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih here today.
Earlier at the event, 31 recipients, comprising 19 students from the school and 12 residents from the Chow Kit area, received Mekar (Menyemai Kasih Rakyat) documents, which include identification papers such as birth certificates and MyKad.
Saifuddin Nasution said the annual figure of between 10,000 and 13,000 cases indicates that, on average, about 1,000 births each month are not registered within the legally prescribed period.
“We strongly urge parents to understand this responsibility. If not addressed now, these children may face difficulties in the future, particularly when accessing government assistance that requires a MyKad,” he said.
He said birth registration must be completed within 60 days in Peninsular Malaysia, while the period is 40 days for Sabah and Sarawak.
Saifuddin Nasution said the issue of late registration should not arise as the National Registration Department (JPN) operates 212 offices nationwide and conducts year-round outreach programmes under its Mekar initiative, including in rural areas, to facilitate registration.
“Investigations found that among the factors contributing to undocumented children are unregistered marriages and social issues, which leave children without proper documentation into adulthood,” he said.
Meanwhile, when asked about Parti Amanah Negara’s intention in the Federal Territories to contest strategic seats such as Putrajaya, Labuan and Titiwangsa, he said seat allocations for the 16th General Election would be decided through the Pakatan Harapan (PH) secretariat and its seat negotiation committee.
“We will bring it to the secretariat. We have a seat negotiation committee. That is the process. When the time comes, we will begin discussions. It is not a major issue,” Saifuddin Nasution, who is PH secretary-general, said. — Bernama
Malay Mail – Malaysia
