KUALA NERUS: The National Registration Department (NRD) found that there are around 8,000 cases of lost identity cards (MyKad) nationwide annually since about five years ago.

Its director-general Zamri Misman said although this number only represents four per cent of the 200,000 MyKad applications each year, the situation is still worrying.

"Among the most common reasons given (for the loss) are misplacing the MyKad or sometimes when they (MyKad owners) go on vacation they leave their MyKads everywhere and so on," he told reporters after attending the Menyemai Kasih Rakyat (MEKAR) programme in Kampung Telaga Daing here today.

Zamri said apart from being fined up to RM1,000, individuals who lose their MyKads risk having their identity cards misused by irresponsible persons.

Therefore, he urged the public to take care of their MyKad as best as possible and immediately report to the police if they lose this document.

"I urge those who lose their MyKads to immediately report the loss to the police and come to the NRD so that we can help them. We are worried that other people will later misuse these documents," he said.

Earlier in the MEKAR programme, organised by the NRD, Abdul Wahab Saleh, 71, who is a citizen, received his MyKad from Zamri himself.

Zamri said Abdul Wahab, who is a person with disabilities (PwD) in the slow learner category, has not held a MyKad, but only possessed a birth certificate as no one had helped him to apply for a MyKad.

"He (Abdul Wahab) is not married, does not have a permanent place to stay but lives with relatives.

"His nephew helped him to apply for an identity card in May as it was difficult to finance his medical treatment at the hospital and he was unable to get help from the Social Welfare Department because he did not have a MyKad," he added.

-- BERNAMA