Chinese nationals can have their driving licences on blockchains, says Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR: The newly launched digital ID and driver’s licence services on blockchain for Chinese travellers in Malaysia will do away with paper-based credentials, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that data security remains a priority.

Ahmad Zahid said this after officiating the Zetrix and Beitou launch of digital ID and driver’s licence services on blockchain, a commercial collaboration between Malaysia’s MyEG Services Berhad and China’s state-owned Guangxi Beitou Innovation Technology Investment Group Co Ltd here on Saturday (Dec 9).

“This is a cooperation between MyEG and Beitou IT Innovation to use Zetrix and Xinghuo blockchains to provide services to issue and verify documents such as cross-border cross-chain identifications,” said Ahmad Zahid.

“The government welcomes such a system. Transport Minister Anthony Loke had presented this matter to the Cabinet, to lower the costs of getting a driver’s licence and add more features to the licence.

“The government has not given any approval to any private company to handle the personal data of Malaysians. Personal data is guaranteed of its confidentiality.

“If the government does approve, the condition will be that all such data will only be owned and controlled by the Malaysian Government,” said Ahmad Zahid.

Ahmad Zahid said that the worry of breaches of Malaysians’ personal data should be put to rest as the government guarantees that the personal data of Malaysians will be completely under the safeguard of the Malaysian Government and confidentiality of such data will not be compromised.

Present at the event were Guangxi Beibu Gulf Investment Group general manager Huang Xue Jun and MYEG Group operations manager Wong Thean Soon.

Earlier, at the launch, Wong said that the service will initially be offered to China nationals who can choose to digitise their national IDs or driving licences as a verifiable credential (VC) on Xinghuo International, the international gateway for China’s national public blockchain.

Beitou IT is the IT arm of the Guangxi Beibu Gulf Investment Group.