The Home Ministry has resolved to stop late birth registrations at state National Registration Department offices with immediate effect.

In a statement today, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said late registrations can only be performed at the NRD headquarters in Putrajaya as a check and balance measure.

This was decided during a meeting by the committee to improve the NRD delivery system, chaired by Muhyiddin on Sept 18.

Other measures include increasing the frequency of spot checks on all NRD divisions, rotating NRD officers after two years, and reviewing all birth certificates which have yet to be claimed.

Muhyiddin said the unclaimed birth certificates would be deactivated to prevent abuse.

NRD has proposed that in future, DNA information will be incorporated into birth certificates to further enhance security, he said.

The NRD has been rocked by a fake MyKad scandal in Penang which saw one of the department's assistant director - Mohd Faizul Arifin - being charged with 11 counts of falsifying birth certificates and identity cards.

Five other Malaysians - Loh Chan Cheong, Yap Cheng Wah, Lai Chin Wah, Chien Guan Chai and Mohd Faizal Tan Abdullah - also face similar charges.