Changing father's name on personal identification document allowed - JPN

According to the National Registration Department (JPN), applicants who wish to correct the name, date or place of birth should provide supporting documents to prove a factual mistake in the earlier registration for consideration by the department.

However, according to JPN any amendment of information in the personal identification document may give implications to the applicant among them banking, education and health.

"JPN only handles the issue under its authority such as birth certificate and identification card.

"Nonetheless, if related parties need confirmation on the personal identification document of a subject, JPN is willing to cooperate," according to the department in a statement issued to Bernama here yesterday.

JPN issued the statement in reply to a Bernama report last Sunday on three baby girls including a pair of twins born 20 years ago who were believed to have been switched due to the negligence of a hospital staff in Kota Bharu , Kelantan.

The incident came to light after the three victims, Adryani Iwani, 20, 'twin' Adryana Irwani, 20, and the real twin Noratirah Husin, 20, took the deoxyribonucleic acid test in September last year.

Following that, Kelantan Mufti, Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad was quoted as saying the mistake of switching babies with another family which resulted in an individual carrying the adopted father's name should be changed to the name of the birth father in terms of religious law.

It is to ensure there are no issues especially in terms of inheritance.

According to JPN, the department had earlier received many applications to amend various information on identification documents including changing the father's name even though there are no statistics on the matter.