EIGHT major banks operating in Malaysia are expected to join Bumiputra Commerce Bank Bhd (BCB) in migrating automated teller machine (ATM) transactions to the Government Multipurpose Card (GMPC) , MyKad, by early next year. "Hong Leong Bank Bhd and Bank Islam Bhd will be adopting the MyKad technology in their various ATM operations in September," said National Registration Department director general Datuk Azizan Ayob.

Other commercial banks such as Maybank, Public Bank, Southern Bank and Citibank will follow suit in the future. Azizan told reporters after launching the use of MyKad applications at Pantai Medical Centre Sdn Bhd's hospital in Kuala Lumpur yesterday that increasing fraud and card cloning cases lately had created sudden awareness among banks on the importance of a more secure ATM banking facility.

He said that chip technology was far more secure than the normal magnetic stripe on ATM cards.Azizan said participating banks had agreed that their ATMs would not withhold the MyKad unless there was a mechanical failure or the card was left behind after a transaction. MyKad, launched last year, is a smart card using chip and biometrics technology, and today has seven applications: identity card, driving licence, passport information, health information, E-cash, Touch N Go service and electronic banking.

Its final application, the Public Key Infrastructure encryption security, is targeted for launch by year-end. To date, there are 1.7 million MyKad holders nationwide. Pantai Medical Centre chairman Datuk Dr Ridzwan Bakar said: "We plan to expand MyKad application at our hospital by incorporating pa- tients' health information." He said medical information contained in a patient's MyKad would interface with Pantai Medical's electronic medical records system, thus enabling the hospital to compile a medical database for all new patients.

Currently, Pantai Medical em- ployees use MyKad to gain entry to restricted areas and to access control systems. A computerised attendance record system will be activated over the next two months. Pantai Medical Centre is the flagship hospital under the hospitals division of Pantai Holdings Bhd. The 264-bed hospital has some 130 specialists. Plans are in hand to refurbish and redevelop the hospital's existing buildings to expand its outpatient clinics, day care surgery, integrated rehabilitation centre and other outpatient facilities and services.