My that Kad

Read from somewhere that ASTRO now has Interactive Services on it's Channel 800, which can read the information encoded inside the MyKad chip. Tried it, and it works! Wow! Just follow the instructions, slide in the MyKad into Slot 2 of the decoder, and the information will be up on the screen (mine is the newer silver-colour decoder, dunno if it works with the older black-colour ones). Try it.

I was quite disappointed that my "Agama" was stated as "Buddha". I remembered clearly I wrote "Kristian" in the application form.

Am I surprised? Not really. I have read numerous such stories, and concluded that there seems to be a hidden agenda to exaggerate the number of believers of certain religions and down-xaggerate (is there such a word?) the numbers in other religions. Why, you may ask, nothing better to do meh? Well, someone wrote "when it comes to government statistics, the numbers in that particular religion will appear small, so less government allocation will go into development of that religion, and voices from a minority religion will be considered insignificant in MalaysiaBoleh land." True or not, you decide.

So, I went to the Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara branch here. And the brief encounter there revealed even more surprises... (translated into English). Read on.

Me: Excuse me, there is a mistake in my MyKad's information. How can I rectify that?
Staff: What's the mistake?
Me: Religion. Should be Kristian.
Staff: What was in the Kad? Buddha?
Me: Ya (wa you so smart can guess one?!).
Staff: Oh, you need to bring your baptism certificate.
Me: I don't have it with me.
Staff: Ai ya, then we cannot process it.
Me: (getting pissed off) Hello, I read in the minister's press statement last time, baptism certificate is not required. Don't you know that?
Staff: Ya... emm... but we sent some applications without baptism certificate to Putrajaya, but they all had problems and cannot be processed.
Me: Look here, you guys made the mistake of giving me the wrong religion. It is not my fault. Now you are asking me to go through even more hassles? I wrote Kristian in my form. When you guys changed it to Buddha, you never asked me for any certificate or my permission?!
Staff: Emm, actually the office in Putrajaya automatically put any Chinese' religion as Buddha.
Me: (really pissed off now, what a ridiculous answer!) So it's your department's fault. If you can't solve it, I will see your boss. So you're telling me the problem lies with Putrajaya? So, should I complain to Putrajaya directly, or to the minister? Is the minister cheating on his press statement?!
Staff: (not sure how to reply) Emm maybe better you go see our boss. Ai ya but he's away now. Can you come this Thursday instead?
Me: Yes you'll be sure I come to see your boss when I am more free.

So you still think that the MyKad is so great? Maybe, the technology... but the people behind it, the whole bunch of them... what stupid mentality! Read JeffOoi's blog and you'll know that MyKad technology is nothing new, just that the local media gave it exaggerated coverage. Singapore does not allow entry into it's shores using MyKad, coz they don't trust MyKad's security features. And you should see the immigrants here in Sabah proudly flashing their MyKads around (ah, that's another local sensitive issue... some immigrants even have Bumiputera, having more rights on this bumi than me). There was a Bangladeshi doctor I worked with last time, having a MyKad with a birth date showing at least 5 years below his actual age.

So, even if it's for curiosity's sake, stick your Kad into an ASTRO decoder, and see what comes out. You won't want your family members fighting over burial rights of your body in court, if by bad luck you kicked the bucket.

If you get what I mean.