KUALA TERENGGANU - The Terengganu National Registration Department (NRD) has created a manual fingerprint recording tool to obtain clearer and better quality prints.
According to the department's director Mohamad Nasir Kareem, difficulties with the manual process of collecting fingerprints when working in the field or the office led to the development and invention of the 1 Shot Fingerprint (CIJ 1Shot) project.
"We found issues, including the fact that a majority of the fingerprints collected were unclean, indistinct, slanted, and did not fulfill the standard requirements.
"So, the department's innovation and creative group (KIK) took the initiative and used 'design thinking' methods to come up with a innovative way in collecting fingerprints to solve the problem," he told Sinar.
He said, although the NRD has implemented fingerprint recording through a biometric system, there is still a need to obtain fingerprints manually.
Nasir said as fingerprints were an indisputable document that will serve as verified proof for the purpose of individual identity and self-identification, it is important to take them as accurately as possible in order to acquire a clear and quality print.
The innovation's final product, he continued, is 16 centimeters (cm) long, 8 centimeters (cm) wide, and 2.8 centimeters (cm) thick.
"The CIJ 1Shot tool utilises recycled materials and emphasises easy to use methods where it can save time since its practical and can be carried anywhere," he said
Nasir said that the tool could also increase productivity and produce competent workers.
"CIJ 1Shot has proven its effectiveness in helping the authorities verify the identity of the bodies involved in the water head tragedy at Jeram Air Putih, Kemaman in the incident early last July through the fingerprint matching process.
"This helped to speed up identity verification and funeral arrangements for the victims involved," he said.