Report - Guardian

The LSE Identity Project Report: June 2005 61“A lot of governments including the US will be looking at betteridentification systems to monitor the movement of people within theircountries after the terror attacks. We are willing to share ourtechnology. It could be part of the solution to the security issue.” 128To date, the Malaysians have only detected ten cases of forged cards, issued to illegalimmigrants. 129Middle EastThroughout the Middle East, governments are introducing identity cards. Recently itwas reported that Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are planning to issue ‘smart’ IDcards.Oman is leading the region with its card programme. The cards will store a singlefingerprint, and the police will be supplied with fingerprint readers to verify thecards. 130 They will be used for immigration management, particularly for workers fromPakistan, Iran, India, and other developing countries. The Government in Oman is alsoconsidering including multiple applications on the card, with the possibleimplementation of PKI.Interestingly, information held on the card cannot be released to all governmentagencies, nor to the private sector.PhilippinesOn a number of occasions, various administrations in the Philippines have attempted tointroduce national ID cards.One plan involved requiring Muslims in Manila to carry an ID card at all times,supposedly intended to detect terrorists hiding in Muslim communities. Although thesemeasures were supported by the police and intended to be put into effect within oneweek, the plan disappeared from the agenda after a loud and widespread outcry againstthem by Muslim groups, politicians and civil liberties groups. 131An earlier plan attempted to establish a national ID card linked to a central database. In1997, President Ramos issued Administrative Order 308, “Adoption of a NationalComputerized Identification Reference System.” The Order met with widespreadresistance. The Philippine Supreme Court invalidated the order and questioned whetherthe President could authorise such an identification system by mere executive order:“Assuming, arguendo, that A.O. No. 308 need not be the subject of alaw, still it cannot pass constitutional muster as an administrativelegislation because facially it violates the right to privacy. ...Unlike the dissenters, we prescind (sic) from the premise that the rightto privacy is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution,128 ‘Malaysia pioneers smart cards with fingerprint data’, Will Knight, New Scientist, September 21, 2001.129 ‘MyKad too hi-tech to forge’, Jane Ritikos, The Star Online, November 27, 2004.130 ‘The Middle East Leads the Way in National ID Cards’, Dan Balaban, CardTechnology.Com, March 20, 2004.131 That some sections of the Muslim community supported such a plan may make sense in the light of the constantharassment Manila Muslims have had to endure from police in their hunt for members of Abu Sayyaf.