Unregistered Orang Asli in Malaysia: Why the NRD struggles to find accurate numbers

National Registration Department (JPN) Director-General Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias (left) shows the identity card belonging to Orang Asli resident Alem Along during a visit to his home at Pos Hau, Gua Musang, Kelantan on October 12, 2026. — Bernama pic

First Published: Tuesday, 13 Oct 2026 10:02 AM MYT

GUA MUSANG, Oct 13 — The absence of accurate numbers of individuals without identification documents poses a challenge for the National Registration Department (NRD) in identifying the Orang Asli and indigenous communities who are still left out of the national registration system.

NRD director-general Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias said that his department can only identify these individuals when they come forward to seek JPN services, making it difficult to determine the actual number of those who still do not have identity cards or birth certificates.

He said the issue not only involves the Orang Asli community in Peninsular Malaysia but also the indigenous communities in Sabah and Sarawak, who are believed to still have individuals without identification documents.

“We do not know exactly how many are unregistered, nor do we know how many will attend; however, Alhamdulillah, we have received applications from more than 30 individuals aged 12,” he said at a press conference following the Registration Literacy Programme, held in conjunction with the state-level 78th National Registration Day celebrations, in Pos Balar here yesterday.

He said that NRD is committed to implementing outreach programmes to engage with communities in rural areas, including providing services for first-time identity card applications, identity card replacements, as well as matters related to birth and death certificates.

Badrul Hisham said that continuous efforts are important to ensure that communities in rural areas have access to documentation services, as well as to help address the issue of registration neglect among those communities.

Meanwhile, during the programme, more than 30 Orang Asli children aged 12 in Pos Balar here applied for their identity cards for the first time through the JPN outreach programme today.

Badrul Hisham said that the response to the documentation services provided through the NRD mobile van has been very encouraging, with the local community also taking the opportunity to obtain identity card and birth certificate replacement services.

He said the number of first-time MyKad applications for 12-year-old children is expected to increase as many residents were still queuing to obtain NRD services during the programme.

“For today, we have received more than 30 who are getting their ICs for the first time (12 years old). And if we look at the mobile van, there were still many people queuing,” he said.

He said that the Menyemai Kasih Rakyat (Mekar) programme is part of NRD’s commitment to reach out to communities in rural areas to facilitate their access to identity documents.

In addition to first-time MyKad applications, he said NRD also provides services for replacing identity cards as well as handling matters related to birth and death certificates.

The effort is important to ensure that communities in rural areas have easier access to the registration and documentation services provided by the government. — Bernama