FindBiometrics.com, August 25, 2009

Biometrics is witnessing rapid adoption among both public and private sectors worldwide as an accurate, reliable and cost-saving way to offer better and advanced security surveillance. Over the years, the biometric technology has developed from a new technology used in a narrow band of closed environment applications to a useful, practical, fit-for-purpose tool used across a wide range of industries and in a variety of applications.

Increasing security concerns - ranging from individual identity theft and corporate security to national security - are driving the biometric market. According to our new research on the concerned sector, "Global Biometric Forecast to 2012", the global biometric market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of around 18% during the forecasted period (2010-2012). Besides this, our research discusses about the current and future scenario of biometric market across various regions, underlining the future potential areas and key issues crucial for the market development.

On the regional front, North America and Europe dominated the global biometric market, accounting for a combined market share of 62% in 2009, closely followed by the Asia-Pacific region. The Middle East and Africa region is also expected to emerge as a growing market for biometrics by 2012 as the Gulf and South African regions are taking several initiatives and starting various biometric programs.

According to our research report, the financial sector has been emerging as a potential adopter in global biometric market. Banks, in particular, are leading the charge so as to cut down on increasing frauds. Most interestingly, many banks in developing countries (specifically Asian nations, including India, China, Malaysia, etc.) are looking upon biometrics as a way to curb fraud and offer customers an easy and more convenient authentication alternative to cards and PINs for transactions like ATM withdrawals.

"Global Biometric Forecast to 2012" offers extensive research on various biometric technologies, acknowledging some of their widely used applications and contextualizing the role of biometrics as an important part of security suite available to government as well as private sectors. It also discusses some of the countries undertaking major biometrics initiatives across the world.

Berita harian, August 20, 2009

Elak bahan bukti tercemar. Kawal tempat kejadian jenayah perkara paling penting bagi memastikan bukti yang dibawa ke mahkamah tidak dipersoalkan

JIKA CSI Las Vegas berbangga dengan ketelitian Gil Grissom, CSI: Miami boleh mengharapkan kepakaran Horatio Caine dan Mac Taylor menjadi tonggak kekuatan CSI: NY, Malaysia tidak ketinggalan berada dalam kelas tersendiri dengan wujudnya CSI Bukit Aman atau dikenali secara rasmi sebagai Makmal Forensik Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) pada 2001.

Lebih menarik apabila kakitangan di Makmal Forensik itu tidak perlu menghafal skrip atau mencipta persekitaran jenayah untuk membolehkan unit Siasatan Tempat Kejadian Jenayah (CSI) bergegas mengumpul bukti kerana saban hari mereka dihidangkan dengan kejadian sebenar yang mencabar kemampuan dan kesungguhan anggota pasukan CSI.

Ia sama sekali berbeza dengan ketiga-tiga siri penyiasatan suka ramai itu yang perlu tampil setiap minggu dengan rekaan kes jenayah menarik serta memasukkan fiksyen bagi menyedapkan cerita demi mencatatkan kadar penonton tertinggi.

Juruanalisis Seksyen Tempat Kejadian Jenayah Makmal Forensik PDRM, Asisten Superintendan Zuraimi Zam Zam, berkata Makmal Forensik itu diwujudkan, pertamanya bagi membantu pegawai penyiasat (IO) menyiasat kejadian jenayah secara saintifik dan lebih bersistematik.

"Sebelum unit ini ditubuhkan, IO yang perlu mengutip bukti dan melakukan siasatan. Dengan ada CSI, mereka boleh memberi tumpuan kepada membuat siasatan ke atas saksi kes, seterusnya mengesan dan menangkap suspek.

"Kedua, ia berfungsi untuk mengumpulkan bahan bukti yang ada kaitan dengan kes dan memastikan bukti itu elok serta tidak tercemar. Tidak guna mengutip banyak benda yang ada di tempat kejadian jenayah tetapi apabila diperiksa ia tidak membawa apa-apa nilai kepada siasatan.

"Oleh itu, anggota CSI tidak boleh terburu-buru terus mengumpulkan bukti. Sebaliknya, mereka perlu merenung dan membayangkan jenayah untuk mendapatkan gambaran bagaimana kemungkinan ia berlaku. Kemudian barulah mula mengumpul bukti yang dirasakan berkaitan. "Selain meneliti keadaan mayat secara luaran, pemeriksaan persekitaran tempat kejadian untuk mendapatkan bahan bukti yang berkualiti, seterusnya membuat rekonstruksi (gambaran semula) kejadian adalah tugasan utama kami," katanya yang sudah berkhidmat di Makmal Forensik itu sejak Mac 2002.

Dalam kes bunuh diri sebagai contoh, beliau berkata, unit CSI akan dipanggil ke tempat kejadian untuk membuat pemeriksaan dan jika dalam penelitian mereka mendapati kes itu atau persekitarannya mencurigakan, siasatan akan dibuat sama ada ia kes bunuh diri atau dibunuh.

Beliau berkata, petugas CSI mestilah seorang anggota polis tetapi keutamaan diberikan kepada mereka yang mempunyai kelulusan dalam bidang sains seperti kimia, biologi, fizik dan sains forensik.

"Ia bertujuan menyediakan pegawai yang mempunyai asas dalam bidang sains untuk menjalankan siasatan secara saintifik. PDRM menyediakan kursus untuk anggota dan pegawai CSI dari semasa ke semasa di dalam dan luar negara untuk meningkatkan kecekapan mereka.

"Ketika Makmal Forensik ini mula ditubuhkan, pegawai dihantar menjalani kursus di Australia selama tiga bulan dalam bidang forensik," katanya.

Ketika cara persembahannya berlainan, peralatan yang digunakan di luar dan di dalam skrin televisyen masih sama, malah cara mengumpul dan menjaga bahan bukti juga tidak berbeza.

Zuraimi berkata, bagi unit CSI, menjaga tempat kejadian jenayah adalah perkara paling penting bagi memastikan bukti yang ada tidak tercemar dan tidak dipersoalkan apabila kes dibawa ke mahkamah.

"Sebaik unit CSI sampai, polis biasa pun tidak akan dibenarkan berada dalam kawasan kejadian. Ia menjadi tempat kami. Penting untuk memastikan tempat kejadian tidak tercemar atau bahan bukti tidak berkaitan ada di situ.

"Sebagai contoh, orang lain yang tiada kena mengena dengan kes, menghisap rokok dan membuang puntung di tempat kejadian. Kami mungkin akan mengutipnya sebagai bahan bukti. Setelah analisis dibuat, akhirnya didapati ia tidak berkaitan dan akan menjejaskan kes," katanya.

Namun bagi unit CSI, kemungkinan untuk bukti atau tempat kejadian jenayah tercemar adalah tipis sekiranya pengawalan dilakukan dengan baik.

"Sebagai peringatan kepada orang ramai, saya meminta mereka supaya tidak menjadi `pencemar' di tempat kejadian, dengan berkumpul dan menyaksikan apa yang berlaku seperti melihat suatu pertunjukan," katanya.

Tegas Zuraimi, contoh pencemaran paling mudah ialah apabila jenayah berlaku dalam rumah dan individu yang paling awal sampai tidak begitu peka dengan kepentingan bukti, mungkin menjejaskan bukti sedia ada.

"Contohnya, penemuan lebih daripada satu kesan tapak kasut di tempat kejadian boleh menjejaskan penilaian yang dibuat oleh unit CSI, sedangkan pada hakikatnya kesan itu adalah hasil kecuaian individu yang sampai awal yang tidak peka dengan pengawalan tempat kejadian," katanya.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, jika mangsa masih hidup apabila polis sampai, tanggungjawab utama ialah menyelamatkan mangsa dengan meminimumkan pencemaran di tempat kejadian.

"Sebagai contoh, mangsa yang ditikam atau ditembak mengalami pendarahan teruk. Anggota polis yang paling awal tiba dikehendaki menyelamatkan mangsa walaupun pada masa sama terpaksa memijak darah atau mengalih mangsa atau dengan menghubungi ambulans. Malah dalam sesetengah kes, ambulans dan pasukan paramedik lebih dulu sampai daripada unit CSI.

"Bagaimanapun, pada masa ini, banyak kursus berkaitan fungsi Pegawai Pertama Tempat Kejadian dianjurkan oleh pihak Makmal Forensik PDRM di Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen di seluruh negeri bagi menambahkan pengetahuan berkaitan pentingnya pengawalan di tempat kejadian.

Menyentuh masa yang diambil untuk memproses tempat kejadian, Zuraimi berkata, ia terpulang kepada bentuk jenayah itu sendiri. Kadangkala siasatan mengambil masa seawal 1 hingga 2 jam dan ada kalanya mengambil masa berhari-hari. Kadangkala tempat kejadian perlu dilawati semula sekiranya IO mendapat petunjuk baru dalam menjalankan sesuatu siasatan.

Dalam satu pasukan CSI, ada lima anggota iaitu ketua pasukan, pelukis rajah kasar, jurufoto, pencatat dan pengumpul barang kes. Sekiranya ada kes yang memerlukan kehadiran pakar, pakar patologi dan Bomb Tech (pakar letupan) akan dipanggil untuk membantu siasatan.

Mengenai kadar penyelesaian kes jenayah, Zuraimi berkata, ia sukar diukur kerana kebanyakan kes masih dibicarakan. Namun baginya, kemampuan anggota CSI menunjukkan sesuatu bukti dengan positif adalah satu kejayaan.

"Sukar mencatatkan kadar kejayaan kes kerana ia masih dibicarakan tetapi apabila dapat mengaitkan suspek berada di tempat kejadian dengan bukti yang ditemui, bagi saya itu satu kejayaan. Berjaya atau tidak memenangi kes itu pula bergantung kepada faktor lain seperti keterangan saksi dan perkara lain.

"Kadang-kadang kesilapan teknik boleh menggugat kes dan disebabkan itu, anggota CSI amat berhati-hati supaya cara pengumpulan dan pemeriksaan bukti tidak boleh dipertikai," katanya.

Selain kes bunuh, unit CSI turut bertanggungjawab membawa penjenayah kejadian rompakan, samun, pecah rumah dan rogol ke muka pengadilan melalui bukti yang ditinggalkan di tempat kejadian.

FindBiometrics.com, July 29, 2009

MEXICO CITY, — The Mexican government will issue a new biometric identity card which will carry fingerprints, a retina scan and a photograph on a magnetic strip to fight corruption in social programs, Mexican Interior Minister Fernando Gomez Mont said on Tuesday.

"With this there will be clearer account and it will be clear that programs reach their intended recipients," Gomez told a press conference shortly after President Felipe Calderon addressed the Senate about the card.

"This will avoid unnecessary intermediation and manipulation that can lead to illicit deviation of federal resources", Gomez said.

The announcement came after Mexican lawmakers declared a shake-up of Procampo, an agricultural support program which takes up a budget of 171 billion pesos. The money has gone largely to the wealthiest, politicians and criminals, not small agricultural producers who were its intended target.

The card will be used in state health service sector, welfare programs and others like Opportunities which gives parents allowance for keeping their children in school and receiving regular medical check-ups.

Gomez added that it could let no one use fake names and might help in the fight against identity theft and other crimes.

Most transactions in Mexico permit the use of three other identity documents: the driving license, the voter registration card and the Unique Population Registry Number (CURP) document issued by the nation's tax office. According to the minister, these were not accurate enough to identify a person.

The new ID card will not have a name and a photo visible on the outside, making it impossible to be falsified. The project's fund will come from the ministry.

A cardholder's address will not be recorded, but blood type data may be included for the sake of medical emergencies.

The first cards will be issued by the end of the year.

FindBiometrics.com, July 20, 2009

The first ever occupational standards for the UK’s human identity and biometrics industry have been introduced following unprecedented growth in the sector - which now has an estimated value of over £250m*.

Skills for Security, created in 2006 as the sector skills body for the security industry, has spearheaded the introduction of National Occupational Standards (NOS), with key contributions from Human Recognition Systems, OmniPerception and Core Systems, and consultation with over 102 biometrics and human identity industry specialists, including: The Home Office, members of the Intellect Association for Biometrics (IAfB) and the University of Kent, to name a few.

The new NOS guidelines will not only define the level of competence needed for a particular job role or occupation, but will be widely used to support individual and organisational development and quality assurance. They will also form the basis of a number of qualifications needed within the security industry.

Two government agencies, the UK commission for employment and skills (UKCES) and Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (OFQAL), were responsible for reviewing and approving the human identity and biometric standards - and passed them at first submission on the 18 June.

Neil Norman, CEO of Human Recognition Systems, said: “Biometric technology is becoming increasingly diverse, and despite being a relatively new industry it is growing at an incredible pace in the UK and globally - analysts are now predicting 20% growth between now and 2012.

“We see the introduction of National Occupational Standards into our industry as a landmark step - it is now of fundamental importance that everyone in the industry has a clear set of organisational, quality and vocational guidelines.

A vital collaborative role was played by OmniPerception and Core Systems alongside Human Recognition Systems in helping to achieve these guidelines.”

Bob Doyle, commercial director at Skills for Security said: “Europe is expected to have the fastest growing biometrics market by 2010 - and the UK in particular is emerging as a key contributor to this growth.

“It is vital therefore that we work closely with key specialist technology partners like Human Recognition Systems, OmniPerception and Core Systems to improve skills and raise professionalism across the security sector.

“These new occupational standards are a vital first step towards improving business performance in the biometrics industry.”

Full details of the human identity and biometric standards are now available to download for free at www.ukstandards.org.uk

*Source: Acuity Market Intelligence 2007

Issued on behalf of Human Recognition Systems by Citypress.

For further information, please contact: Katherine Fletcher or Ruth Grundy at Citypress on 0161 235 0307/0161 235 0305 or ruth@citypress.co.uk / katherine.fletcher@citypress.co.uk.

Skills for Security:

The Government (through the UK Commission for Employment and Skills) is encouraging all sectors of the economy to develop National Occupational Standards (NOS) to cover all workforce activities.

Skills for Security, the appointed Standards Setting Body for the security business sector engages with all sub-sectors to ensure that NOS are in place and up-to-date.

Each NOS requires an Expert Practitioner Group which provides us with the opportunity to work with experienced practitioners from the security business sector.

Human Recognition Systems:

Human Recognition Systems Limited is an award winning Consultancy and System Integrator specialising in biometrics, identity management and video processing technology.

Established in 2002 by entrepreneur Neil Norman, HRS quickly established itself as the market leader in developing multi-biometric, smart surveillance and identity management solutions for companies such as Manchester Airport, The MoD, Carillion and Liverpool Merseyside Police.

OmniPerception:

OmniPerception, a private British company founded in 2001, is a global supplier of computer vision capabilities, specialising in facial biometrics and advanced image processing. The company’s software provides automated solutions for the recognition of objects and people in a wide range of customer applications – offering significant added benefits in performance and reliability.

Core Systems:

Core Systems is Northern Ireland’s most experienced biometric identity management experts, specialising in the design and development of integrated security management software. The company’s innovative biometric solutions play a vital role in maintaining control within the highest security establishments in Europe.

News Straits Times, July 5, 2009

PUTRAJAYA: Serial voters will be stopped at the next general election if the Election Commission's plan for a new computerised biometric identification system is realised.

The high-tech system is touted as a "more modern" solution to ensuring that a registered voter only votes once in an election.

In the system, a registered voter would have to first undergo a two-step identification verification process before being allowed to cast his vote.

Once a voter's identity has been checked and he has been allowed to vote, the computerised system would then put a block on him voting anywhere else again that day.

"First, we will check whether the identity card (IC) is genuine or not. Once we have confirmed that the IC is genuine, we will check whether the holder is genuine," EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof told the New Sunday Times.

"The EC intends to use a computerised biometric identification system, by which a voter's thumbprint or fingerprint is scanned and put into the system.

"The person's name and picture would then pop up on the computer and the system would confirm this identity with that stated in the IC."

If the information corresponds, the voter is allowed to go to his polling stream to vote.

The confirmation then becomes available via computer at all polling stations and this puts a block on him trying to register elsewhere.

"If a person has already voted and he goes to another place to vote, he will be caught. So, if you have voted in the morning in Selangor, and you try to vote again in the afternoon in Malacca, the computer will show where you've already voted -- and the time and place."

Aziz said the commission was studying the feasibility of having this system, as well as what other biometrics could be used if a voter did not have any thumb or fingers.

"I used this system when I was the secretary-general of the Home Ministry for the Immigration, for the police when identifying criminals and for the anti-drug enforcement agency."

The system is intended to put a stop to multiple-voting, which results in "phantom voting".

Although the idea for some sort of biometric identification system is not new and had been bandied around before, it was superseded by the indelible ink idea last year.

In the run-up to the March 8 general election last year, the EC had attempted to introduce the indelible ink. The ink was to be applied on the fingers of voters and this was to mark them as having already cast their ballot.

However, although RM2.4 million had been spent to procure the ink, the move was scrapped four days before polling day because the imposition of the indelible ink was deemed unconstitutional.

One problem likely to arise from the biometric system is that not all Malaysians have had their ICs converted to MyKad, which is implanted with a microchip that will facilitate identification verification.

BERNAMA.COM, 14 Mei, 2009 22:17 PM

TAWAU, 14 Mei (Bernama) -- Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) berharap dapat meningkatkan kadar penyelesaian kes jenayah dengan penggunaan sistem Indentifikasi Cap Jari Biometrik (BIOFIS), kata Pesuruhjaya Polis Sabah Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim.

Katanya sistem BIOFIS dapat mempercepatkan proses analisa maklumat dan mengesan suspek kes jenayah dengan lebih cepat.

"Ini akan meningkatkan imej pasukan polis apabila kes-kes jenayah dapat diselesaikan dengan lebih cepat," katanya pada majlis tamat kursus sistem BIOFIS siri II/2009 yang dihadiri oleh 42 pegawai penyiasat dari semua ibu pejabat polis daerah di negeri itu, Khamis.

Noor Rashid berkata kesediaan mental perlu ada di kalangan peserta kursus untuk menguna pakai sistem peralatan yang sedia ada ketika menjalankan tugas penyiasatan.

Beliau berharap kursus seperti itu akan memberi kesedaran dan motivasi kepada pegawai penyiasat untuk menjalankan tugas dengan lebih berkesan bagi meningkatkan kadar penyelesaian kes jenayah di negara ini.

ZDNet Asia, October 13, 2008 07:19 AM

Meeting the minimum standards in biometrics is sometimes not enough, according to a biometrics expert.

Standards provide a good baseline for the implementation of biometrics but organizations should "consider the business ramifications for exceeding them", David Chadwick, Unisys' senior solutions advisor for identity and biometrics in the Asia-Pacific region, told ZDNet Asia in an interview.

Biometric systems in general will return a list of candidate matches when a sample is entered for identification, said Chadwick, also a member of the Technical Committee at the Biometrics Institute, an independent not-for-profit organization focused on promoting, educating and setting standards for biometrics use. In the case of facial recognition systems, particularly in "high-risk" processes such as law enforcement and immigration, the ability to accurately identify a match boils down to standards and the operators' experience and tools.

Currently, the ISO 19794-5 standard for facial image data specifies a minimum resolution of 640x480 pixels for facial recognition purposes, he pointed out, adding that most facial systems designed today are based on that.

However, at that resolution, there is "very little" fine detail available. On the other hand, studies have found that new facial algorithms are able to perform more refined searches on very high-resolution images.

According to Chadwick, the process of resolving a facial match can span three levels. The first is a visual comparison that relies mainly on a trained operator's judgment. If there are any doubts or concerns, the process escalates to the next level, where comparison tools are used to compare facial regions. Such comparison, he explained, would be limited based on the minimum ISO standards.

Forensic comparisons are used in the third level of facial match resolution, where court proceedings or judicial reviews call for formal comparison procedures. This involves the analysis of individual facial components, and "meaningful results cannot be obtained" with images at 640x480 resolution, he added.

The best possible resolution of 4,000x3,000 pixels would be ideal for quality images, but that would pose concerns relating to bandwidth and storage capacities. A good resolution for facial recognition for high-risk processes, therefore, is 1,600x1,200 pixels, he said. Generally, organizations "should use the highest possible resolution based on IT and business needs".

Biometrics, Chadwick pointed out, are "no panacea" for fraud but merely tools for businesses. "Like any business process, companies have to choose tools that are the most suitable.

"If facial recognition systems are not designed and implemented correctly, they can end up being the most expensive biometric solution," he said.

ZDNet Asia, January 08, 2008 10:19 AM

Banks in the region are turning to smart cards and biometrics to boost their microfinance operations, according to a new report from IDC's Financial Insights.

The study revealed that the successes of banks such as Grameen Bank in providing sustainable microfinancing schemes, have spurred others in the region to grow their microfinance operations. The report cited Indonesia's PT Bank Danamon and India's ICICI Bank, as two examples that rely on biometric and smart card technologies to alleviate the high costs of administering microfinance and to expand such operations.

"Banks in Indonesia and India have emerged as leaders in deploying innovative technologies to grow their microfinance businesses," said Abhishek Kumar, senior research analyst of Financial Insights' Asia-Pacific banking advisory service. "These banks have shown that technologies like biometrics and smart cards, can be successfully deployed to target previously under-served customer segments, providing business benefits alongside poverty reduction."

According to Kumar, PT Bank Danamon was able to achieve lower operating costs as the use of biometric authentication resulted in a paperless environment. The bank could also reach the masses--customers only need to scan their fingerprint for verification instead of manually filling up forms, making it easy for first-time users or those who are illiterate to perform banking transactions.

Kumar told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail interview that there are other banks in India and Indonesia "running their own pilot programs on biometric and smart card technologies". Other countries, in which microfinance industries are relatively young, are likely adopting a wait-and-see approach before deciding to implement such technologies, he said.

However, Kumar noted, while the use of technologies such as biometrics and smart cards would increase efficiency in established and mature microfinance industries, new or smaller operations were unlikely to yield similar benefits.

"For banks with small microfinance networks, there is likely very little cost benefit in making the technology investment for a limited network," he explained.

http://www.unhcr.org.my, November 30, 2006

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 30 November 2006 (UNHCR) - At the registration area of the UN refugee agency in Kuala Lumpur, Nang Piang, a refugee from Myanmar, placed his finger tentatively on the biometrics scanner. Within seconds, his fingerprint flashed on the computer screen. He appeared slightly puzzled by the new technology, but unperturbed.

“I don’t know what it is for, but I do what UNHCR wants me to do,” he said with a shrug. His biometrics data was recorded in his electronic file, and he left the room. It was apparent that the new biometrics registration system meant very little to Nang Piang, merely another administrative hoop to jump through.

But to UNHCR, this was a historical moment. Malaysia on Monday became the first country in Asia to launch UNHCR’s new biometric registration system, which efficiently marries fingerprinting identification with UNHCR’s refugee database system, called proGres.

Biometrics is a unique, measurable characteristic or trait of a human being - in this case a fingerprint - for automatically recognising or verifying identity.

“This is an important step for UNHCR Malaysia as we strengthen the security of our registration system to prevent fraud,” said Volker Türk, head of UNHCR in Malaysia. “Each fingerprint is unique, no two are alike. By referring to this unique human feature, we can determine if a person is already enrolled in our system, and verify if an identity claim is true.”

“For instance,” he added, “if a rejected asylum seeker tries to reapply for refugee status, the system will automatically discover this. The system will also discover if a person is fraudulently claiming to be someone she, or he, is not. Such a security measure will certainly enhance the credibility of UNHCR’s registration system in the eyes of the Malaysian government and other partners.”

Ephraim Tan, UNHCR’s information technology manager, explained that the new system scanned 1,000 fingerprints a second to verify identity or to catch duplications. Previously, this would have to be found through a time-consuming individual search of biographical data.

“It used to be that double registrations would be discovered by chance when a staff member deliberately conducted such a search,” said Tan. “Now, the system will be programmed to conduct such searches at the end of the working day.”

Tan hastened to add that double registrations were often the result of human error and not malicious intent: “Sometimes people have been registered at another location and, not understanding the procedure, register again at our office.”

At the same time, though, the biometrics scan acts as a deterrent against fraud. “Knowing that their identity will be verified with a fingerprint scan when they approach UNHCR will deter anyone from stealing the identity of a refugee,” Tan said.

Tan explained that for now, only those newly registered with UNHCR would have their fingerprints recorded. Soon, however, UNHCR will begin to capture the fingerprints of all 49,000 refugees and asylum seekers already in the system in Malaysia.

“It will be slow and tedious, but well worth it when all those registered with us can be identified by their unique fingerprints instead of just a photograph,” said Tan.

The launch of biometrics in Malaysia follows successful implementation in Kenya and Tanzania. The Kenya operation has used this technology to detect cases of attempted multiple registrations under different identities. UNHCR expects six to eight countries to implement the biometrics technology this year, taking the agency a step closer towards developing a more standardised worldwide registration system.

Back in Kuala Lumpur, at the end of a long day of troubleshooting the new technology, Tan helped a young refugee woman from Myanmar with her fingerprint scan.

As he explained the use of the scanner to capture a characteristic that was uniquely hers, the woman’s face broke into a smile as she nodded in agreement. “Now no one can come to UNHCR and pretend to be me,” she said.

The Star, September 11, 2007

KUALA LUMPUR: Shared services is the way to go for governments that take pride in being citizen-centric, according to enterprise software solutions giant Oracle Corp.

Adaire Fox-Martin, Oracle vice-president of government, education and healthcare, said a shared services centre (SSC) would allow government departments to consolidate all their data into one area.

This would help them boost efficiency when dealing with members of the public, she told In.Tech after a forum held in Kuala Lumpur recently.

"A lot of governments are expected to continuously improve their frontliners but that can be difficult on a budget," Fox-Martin said.

An SSC, she said, can bring out the cost of maintaining backoffice systems to the front line.

It focuses on cost optimisation by alleviating administrative and repetitive activities in government departments. So, instead of having a backoffice system in each and every cluster within an agency, there is a single service delivery model to handle matters such as finance and personnel management, she explained.

Of course, a problem that may arise with the SSC is that it may need to be upgraded as usage grows and it will require upsizing.

But upsizing is not an option when faced with a tight budget.

Oracle's solution to this problem is its computer-grid offering, which pools server resources across the SSC.

The computing power harnessed from this pool will then optimse the services that are deployed over the centre.

Fox-Martin cited an example.

She said the National Health Service (NHS) in Britain, expects to save more than £400mil (RM2.8bil) over the next 10 years by employing shared services.

She said the cost savings would allow the NHS to hire up to 12,000 new healthcare professionals — a boon to the British public.

Having a single, consolidated centre that is shared over the entire government agency does not mean a government official cannot supervise the activities within the agency.

"In fact, in the case of the NHS, the Health Minister is able to monitor the entire public health situation in Britain," Fox-Martin said.

Malaysians would also be able to get the same results as their British counterparts, according to Oracle. "By saving funds, they could (for example) use the money to provide farmers with computers so that they will always be in the know when it comes to crop prices," Fox-Martin said.

She said this is already happening in India and the farmers there are able to sell their crops at competitive prices to the middlemen.

Oracle sees potential for SSC in the Malaysian market and the public sector is a clear target, said Fox-Martin.

The Government is already moving towards using a centralised system through e-Perolehan, the electronic system that manages all government tenders.

"This blends well with the idea of government departments reporting and supervising from a single source," she said.

Utusan Malaysia, Julai 24, 2007

KUALA LUMPUR 23 Julai - Polis telah mengenal pasti identiti mayat lelaki yang ditemui berhampiran kedai kaca mata Ampta Optical Sdn. Bhd. di Kompleks Bandar, Jalan Klang Lama di sini pada 8 Julai lalu.

Mayat tersebut ketika ditemui pada pukul 9.20 malam hari berkenaan tidak mempunyai sebarang identiti pengenalan diri.

Mangsa dikenal pasti sebagai Jayakumar Karuppiah yang berusia 34 tahun. Alamat pada kad pengenalannya ialah No. 29/31B, Jinjang Selatan, Segambut.

Ketua Polis Daerah Brickfields, Asisten Komisioner Sulaiman Junaidi berkata, butir-butir pengenalan diri mangsa diperoleh melalui cap jari yang disemak menggunakan Sistem Identiti Cap Jari Automatik (MAFIS).

Beliau berkata, pihak polis mendapat alamat tersebut tidak dapat dikesan.

Katanya, hasil siasatan awal mendapati mangsa kurang siuman dan selalu meminta wang daripada orang ramai serta tidur di tepi kaki lima bangunan di sekitar Kompleks Bandar di Jalan Mega Mendung di sini.

"Sehingga kini mayat mangsa belum dituntut dan waarisnya masih dicari," ujarnya.

Orang ramai yang mempunyai maklumat berhubung kejadian itu boleh menghubungi pegawai penyiasat Sarjan Mohd. Khorsaini Mohd. Noor di Balai Polis Petaling melalui talian 03-77826222, Rakan Cop di talian 03-21159999 atau khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) POLISKL 32728.

The Star, July 23, 2007

ALOR STAR: Foreigners, including Americans, are studying Malaysia’s multi-functional MyKad to facilitate quick and secure identification, Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said.

“Plans are also in the pipeline to apply a similar system in (war-torn) Iraq to control movement into certain security areas,” he said after opening the Kuala Kedah Umno meeting yesterday.

Mohd Radzi said many Malaysians did not realise that MyKad was undoubtedly the best identification card in the world.

He also said he was disappointed many Malaysians are not making use of the multi-purpose applications in MyKad.

”MyKad can be used for Touch and Go application to pay tolls, parking fees, bus fares and the KLIA Express commuter fare.

“We can also include the driving licence information in MyKad,” he said.

Mohd Radzi also said that no deadline has been set for the people to change their old identity card to MyKad.

The 330,000 people who have yet to change to MyKad are mostly elderly folks, mental patients and drug addicts in rehabilitation centres, he said.

He also said efforts are ongoing to help the handful of orang asli living in remote places to apply for MyKad.

The Star, March 31, 2006

SHAH ALAM: A fingerprint expert told a High Court yesterday that the palm print obtained from a murder scene matched that of the man accused of committing the crime.

Puwira Jaya Othman of the Bukit Aman Central Criminal Registry Malaysia & Singapore said he was certain that the palm print belonged to L/Kpl Abdul Halim Hasan.

L/Kpl Abdul Halim, a police photographer, is accused of murdering 20-year-old Tengku Teh Susilawati Tengku Akhirat last May.

He allegedly killed her at the bus stop area opposite the Kelana Jaya LRT station between 1.30am and 10.30am on May 6.

Teh Susilawati’s remains, which was packed into a 29” television box, was found by two Universiti Malaya general workers at Jalan 12/5, Petaling Jaya, the same day.

Puwira Jaya also told Judicial Commissioner Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin that it was scientifically impossible for two persons to have similar or almost similar finger, palm and foot prints.

However, he said he could not analyse and match the fingerprints taken from the box, containing Teh Susilawati’s body, as they lacked the required characteristics for the procedure.

Puwira Jaya said that sometimes fingerprints could not be analysed and matched because there had not been sufficient pressure when imprinted.

The defence requested the court’s permission to reserve Puwira Jaya’s cross-examination for a later date pending a second expert opinion on the validity of the palm print match.

Meanwhile, Kpl Aziz Hamad from the Petaling Jaya police photography and fingerprinting unit testified that he was instructed to take finger and palm prints of the accused on May 14 by the investigating officer Asst Supt Sarih Saleh.

Aziz, who said he knew Abdul Halim for about 10 years, added that he was not instructed to take the prints of any other possible suspect.

DPP Salehuddin Saidin, assisted by Muhammad Iskandar and Alfred Egih, prosecuted while Abdul Halim Yahya, G. Subramaniam Nair, K. Munjeet Singh and Roy Angau Datuk Jingkoi appeared for the defence.

The hearing was adjourned to June 26 to 30

The Star, Feb 28, 2006

By: M. Krishnamoorthy (newsdesk@thestar.com.my)

KUALA LUMPUR: Biometric cards with the owners' thumbprint will replace paper-based vehicle registration cards by the end of the year.

This is to stop the increasing number of car thefts and forgeries.

Once implemented, owners will get the chip-based biometric cards when they renew their road tax.

The biometric card, the size of a credit card, will carry details and the thumbprints of the owners aside from information on the vehicle.

The personal details will be linked to the National Registration Department to counter fraud.

There are some 15 million vehicles registered in the country.

The General Insurance Association of Malaysia reported that an average of 2.3 vehicles were stolen every hour in 2000.

By 2004, car thefts had increased tenfold resulting in losses of more than RM750mil.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said the biometric card would make it safer and easier for vehicle owners to register their cars.

He said the card would complement the e-registration and e-kiosk projects of the Road Transport Department (JPJ). (E-registration involves the online registration of new vehicles by distributors, while e-kiosk allows the renewal of road taxes at selected locations)

“With e-kiosk, the public would be able to renew their road tax and driving licence without having to go to the counters. It will function like an ATM,” Chan said in an interview.

JPJ director-general Datuk Emran Kadir said that other applications such as the e-enforcement and e-health would also be introduced this year.

“E-enforcement involves the installation of closed-circuit cameras at accident-prone roads and highways to monitor traffic.

“E-health enables commercial vehicle drivers to get their medical certificates in a more systematic way,” he added.

Safety Driving Centre managing director C.T. Balan welcomed the move by the JPJ to switch to the electronic system as it would make it easier for the public.

“The new IT system must be customer-friendly and not cause problems for the public,” he said.

PIAM executive director Lim Chia Fook said any new measures should help reduce the number of car thefts and forgery of registration cards.

“We look forward to providing more feedback to the Transport Ministry in respect of the proposed chip-based biometric card for motor vehicles,” he added.