On November 22, 2019, a civil group expressed doubts about the preparation process for digital identification ("New eID") and called for the program's suspension. In response, the Ministry of the Interior stated that the New eID has undergone extensive planning and all relevant processes are being managed in accordance with the law. The government will adhere strictly to procedure and proceed with all caution with an emphasis on protection of privacy and information security.
According to the Ministry, extensive planning went into the New eID. The various aspects of the program are now proceeding in accordance with the law such as card fabrication, system, regulations and administration.
For card fabrication, the Ministry has contracted the Central Engraving and Printing Plant (CEPP) to fabricate the cards in accordance with the procedure set out under the Government Procurement Act. CEPP will manage the public tender of the card fabrication equipment. Card fabrication is therefore being conducted in strict accordance with the law; on the system side, a public tender will be issued once the detailed planning has been finalized.
The Ministry emphasized that the New eID combines the citizen ID with citizen digital certificate. Like the citizen digital certificate, no record will be kept by the certification center after use. As the IC card already contains basic personal information there is no need to connect to the Ministry of the Interior to retrieve personal information. There is no need to be concerned about government surveillance as no record of usage will be retained by the Ministry of the Interior.
The promotion of New eID underwent 6 years of research and discussion within the Ministry of the Interior. Outside opinions were also collected through research grants, seminars, international symposiums and workshops. Further communication and information sessions will be conducted for external stakeholders as well.
Finally, the Ministry of the Interior stated that the New eID is an important part of the move to a digital nation. The government will proceed with caution while ensuring that the protection human rights, due process and outside supervision.