THESE days, visitors to Menara Star in Petaling Jaya don’t have to scribble their particulars in a logbook. Nor are they required to leave some form of identification at the security desk. All they need to do is go up to a terminal, insert their MyKad and the relevant information is recorded.

This is not that much of a novelty because MyKad-based visitor registration systems have been around for a few years now. Nevertheless, it must still be odd for many of us to use our MyKad for anything other than identity verification in our dealings with government departments and financial institutions.

But in fact, MyKad was conceived as something more than a high-tech replacement for the laminated identity cards we used to carry around.

Read More