MALAYSIA Launched RFIC Microchip (0.7mm x 0.7 mm) but at WHAT COST? Hitachi's mu-chips (0.4mm x 0.4mm) Already in Production & Developed Smaller Ones

Malaysian made and Malaysians have to pay dearly for Local Compulsory Adoption of the MM Chips -Like in Car Plates, Passports &Another New IC? and Many Many More –All in the name of Security.

UPdate: (March 18 07) If Samy Vellu has his way, he will be spying on everyone when he has these chips embedded in every vehicle and when they pass through a toll gantry, ALL these are recorded. The human rights people should take note of his statement recently on this and we MUST oppose him adopting such an intrusion. A posting of what he said will be out soon.
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The technology was bought over from Japan in 2003 by Dr Mahathir who declined to reveal the cost and now a further US50–60 Million was spend after 3 years to develop 3 versions MM1, MM2 & MM3. Many applications were touted but its great invasion on privacy was not highlighted. At a recent Japan trade show, a demonstration of RFID technology allows retailers to track the movements of a consumer in a book store. Fears are also expressed elsewhere about invasion of privacy. If all the items in a Supermarket are RFIDed, you can have the bill ready at the check out counter and the supermart can profile ALL their customers knowing what you buy .

If global users cannot be found, the “Buy Malaysia First" would help and the government would be the first to adopt these chips in all documents that could possibly be forged and the taxpayers would have to pay "through your nose". One online and approved is the CAR Number Plates with RFID chips. The price reportedly was RM80+ for a pair and if you knocked often the replacemnt would be expensive.

ABOVE: Misleading headline by Malaysiakini, many are confused by the Spin from the launch and BELOW: Even AFP was led to believe it was the smallest and the respectable PhysOrg.com carried it in their forum. Check H E R E.

Look at the banner below, it was just a launch of the MM chip and it became the "world's smallest one"

It was announced as the smallest microchip - only in Malaysia perhaps as in Japan, Hitachi's mu-chips (0.4mm x 0.4mm) are already in production and they had been used to prevent ticket forgery at last year's Aichi international technology exposition and they have developed even smaller ones (0.05mm x 0.05mm) POWDER TAGS (see below & pic) - 60 times smaller but NOT in production yet.

They might help improve the delivery system locally BUT at what cost? Security paper added extra cost and the rakyat and the taxpayers would be further burdened if RFIDs are added into security documents.

These tiny RFID tags could be worked into any product; combined with RFID readers built into doorways, theft of consumer goods would be practically impossible. These devices could also be used to identify and track people. For example, suppose you participated in some sort of protest or other organized activity. If police agencies sprinkled these tags around, every individual could be tracked and later identified at leisure, with powerful enough tag scanners.

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Malaysia launches world's smallest microchip with radio technology
Weekend . February 25, 2007

Malaysia over the weekend has launched what it said is the world's smallest microchip with radio technology in a quest to position itself as a leading high-tech chip producer for a global market. The Malaysia Microchip was released after more than two years of research and development. The smallest version measures 0.7 millimetres by 0.7 millimetres, according to officials. Costing six cents each, three versions of the chip were developed after the Malaysian government in 2003 bought the technology and the rights to design, manufacture and market the chip from Japan's FEC Inc. At the launch on Saturday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi lauded the chip for boosting Malaysian technological expertise.

ABOVE : is the mu-chip (0.4mm x 0.4mm) on a finger tip

"It is only through being creators of technology, and not mere users of technology, that Malaysia can move up the economic value chain and take its place among the developed countries of the world," he said in a speech Saturday. The project was announced by former premier Mahathir Mohamad just before he retired in 2003 as part of his efforts to push Malaysia into hi-tech industries and make the country an industrialised nation by 2020.T he tiny microchip holds technology which emits radio waves on multiple frequencies, which means it can be detected when embedded in paper documents such as money, or in objects or animals.

Its first commercial application in Malaysia is for tagging and identifying original versions of movies on VCDs and DVDs as part of anti-counterfeiting efforts in the country where video piracy is rampant. The chief executive of the government agency set up to develop and market the Malaysia Microchip, Ahmed Tasir Lope Pihie, told AFP Sunday that
"inquiries are coming in" from other countries about the chip. He also said Malaysia's and Hong Kong's international airports would in April or May start a pilot project using the chip to tag luggage traveling between the two airports. The chip would cut travel delays by making it easy to locate luggage that was lost or had to be removed from airplanes if passengers failed to show,or for security purposes, he said.

"It will improve tremendously the traceability elements and authentication elements," Ahmed Tasir said. Home Minister Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said the microchip was developed for some 50 to 60 million dollars, and Malaysia would use the chip to curb forgeries of documents such as passports and birth certificates. "You think about the application, it is mind-boggling because there is no limit to it," Radzi told reporters at the launch. The chip is currently being produced in Japan but the minister said there were plans to move manufacturing to Malaysia. "We will go out internationally to market it anywhere in the world," he said. - AFP
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Sunday February 25, 2007;

Malaysia Microchip has potential for wide use; By JANE RITIKOS; STAR

Different uses: Radzi showing Abdullah the variety of applications of the chip before its launch in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
KUALA LUMPUR: After two years, the world's smallest Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) microchip with a built-in antenna has been successfully developed under the Malaysia Microchip (MM) Project. The chip, which cost US$50mil (RM180mil) to develop, uses Japanese technology and is the first with multi-band frequencies. The microchip is so tiny that it can be embedded on paper. Each chip has its own serial number. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who launched the microchip yesterday, said some of the applications, currently being developed, would help improve the public service delivery system. For example, he said, it could help counter the forgery of government documents, currency notes, halal certificates, medical products and compact discs.

The Home Ministry will roll out the first government application, with RFID-enabled B certificates – the holographic security labels to verify the authenticity of film discs. Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said detection of forged B certificates would be made easier as the chips embedded on the labels could be read using mobile handheld devices. From this year, the ministry would also embed the chips on marriage and birth certificates to counter forgery, he said, adding that other uses being studied were for foreign workers' identification cards and Malaysian passports.

Radzi said: “The applications are mind-boggling and limitless. The chip can be embedded on road tax discs, bank cheques and even university diplomas to prevent forgery. “I urge all government agencies and government-linked companies to utilise the chip, consequently helping us to promote it globally. “The MM chip is highly acclaimed to be the world's smallest RFID chip with a built-in antenna and it can operate on three bands of radio frequencies. Hence, other countries can adopt it,” he said. Another flagship application is the ongoing e-baggage management application for baggage

handling systems at airports in which traditional barcoded baggage tags would be replaced with MM chip-based tags. Radzi said the International Air Transport Authority had agreed to facilitate the usage of the tags between KL International Airport and Hong Kong Airport and the success of this application was critical in promoting it among other countries. He also announced the first MM Chip application by a public university. Universiti Teknikal Malaysia in Malacca will use it on its student IDs to monitor time and examination attendance and for its asset management system.

The technology's many uses include product authentification, asset management, container tracking, animal tagging and tracking, patient tracking, electronic toll, logistics and warehousing, healthcare management and security access. The Government embarked on the MM Chip project in 2004 to utilise the potential of RFID technology. The MM Project Committee, chaired by Abdullah with Radzi as co-chairman, was set up to monitor the progress and usage of the chip. Under the project, MM Chip series of MM1, MM2 and MM3, which vary in capacity and strategic features, are now ready for commercialisation. The Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology was appointed to head the project's implementation, and for this purpose, it established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Senstech Sdn Bhd.

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February 24, 2007 19:07 PM

PM Challenges Local Researchers To Develop Leading-edge Applications

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today challenged local researchers, scientists and engineers to demonstrate to the world that Malaysians are able to develop leading-edge applications and solutions based on the advanced technology available today. The prime minister said that only by being a creator of technology could Malaysia move up the economic value chain and take its place among the developed nations. "I have said this so many times ... that we must create our own technology and not just become efficient users," he said when launching the Malaysia Microchip Project (MM Chip Project), here.

The MM Chip Project utilises the latest `Radio Frequency Identification' (RFID) technology, where Malaysia aims to become a leading contributor to its development. Having started in 2004 using Japanese technology, Malaysia has succeeded in producing the smallest RFID chip with built-in antenna receptive to three bands of radio frequency. Stressing on this achievement, Abdullah, who is also the chairman of the MM Chip Project Committee, said he hoped that the MM chip-based application and solutions would be adopted not just by local agencies and companies but also by organisations all around the world.

"There are significant gains to be made in this field, provided that the right applications are commercialised," he said, adding that the government had a structured commercialisation plan in place for the project. Abdullah said the government, through the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), had created a wholly-owned company -- Senstech Sdn Bhd -- to spearhead the development of applications for commercialisation purposes. "Nevertheless, I would also like to urge the private sector, in particular technology-based SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises), to work closely with MIGHT and Senstech Sdn Bhd in order to develop innovative products and solutions utilising the MM chips," he said.

At present, the MM chips are utilised in the B Certificate for films approved by the Film Censorship Board, and a university in Melaka will introduce a RFID-enabled attendance system to monitor its students. Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, who co-chairs the committee with Abdullah, said that for the time being they were concentrating on the local market. "We want the government agencies to use this first, our own microchips with the latest technology, before we go abroad," he said. In explaining the "beauty" of the technology in layman's terms, Mohd Radzi said the chip was so small it could be used in paper and certificates, hence the ministry's plan to use it in marriage certificates as well as passports, among others.

"Today we have too many forgery cases, so we hope by using this technology we can manage it. That's why we want our government agencies to use it," he said, adding however that the government had no plan to enforce its use. Asked on the cost of the project, Mohd Radzi said that since its establishment in 2004, the government had spent more than US$50 million (US$1 = RM3.50) on research and development alone. However, he said, the government was confident that with its vast potential the MM chip could put Malaysia on the world map as a leader in such technology as well as being competitive in the market. At present, the chip is manufactured in Japan but the government has plans to shift manufacturing to the Kulim Hi-Tech Park soon, said Mohd Radzi.

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Hitachi Shows World's Smallest RFID Chip

By Yuri Kageyama February 23, 2007 9:38AM

Shown to the public for the first time earlier this month, Hitachi's new RFID chip is an improvement on its predecessor -- the Mu-chip, which at 0.4 millimeters by 0.4 millimeters, looks about the size of the period at the end of this sentence.

ABOVE: The new radio frequency identification, or RFID, chips are placed next to a human hair (that's running horizontally) for comparison.

The latest chip, which still has no name, is 60 times smaller than the Mu-chip. Tiny computer chips used for tracking food, tickets and other items are getting even smaller. Hitachi Ltd., a Japanese electronics maker, recently showed off radio frequency identification, or RFID, chips that are just 0.05 millimeters by 0.05 millimeters and look like bits of powder. They're thin enough to be embedded in a piece of paper, company spokesman Masayuki Takeuchi said Thursday. RFID tags store data, but they need to be brought near special reading devices that beam energy to the chips, which then send information back to the readers. The technology is already widely used to track and identify items, such as monitoring the distribution of food products or guarding against forgery of concert tickets.

Shown to the public for the first time earlier this month, the new chip is an improvement on its predecessor from Hitachi -- the Mu-chip, which at 0.4 millimeters by 0.4 millimeters, looks about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. The latest chip, which still has no name, is 60 times smaller than the Mu-chip but can handle the same amount of information, which gets stored as a 38-digit number, according to Hitachi.

One catch is that the new chip needs an external antenna, unlike the Mu-chip. The smallest antennas are about 4 millimeters -- giants next to the powder-size chip. There are no plans yet to start commercial production of the new chip, Takeuchi said. Invisible tracking brings to mind science-fiction-inspired uses, or even abuses, such as unknowingly getting sprinkled with smart-tag powder for Big Brother-like monitoring. "We are not imagining such uses," Takeuchi said, adding that the latest chip is so new -- and so miniature -- Hitachi is still studying its possible uses

= == ==== =BACKGROUD to this MM Chip bought by MALAYSIA

Malaysian Microchip --Oct. 7, 2003

Silicon.com says the chip "can replace barcode tags in retail goods, and can be inserted into the human body, animals, bullets, credit cards and otheritems for verification purposes." The Malaysian Microchip is an RFIC, which stands for "radio frequency identication chip," able to use any of the different technical standards for RFICs adopted by Japan, the United States and Europe.

It was designed by the Japanese company FEC, but that company now has a joint alliance with Malaysia to develop it. The advantage to FEC is working with Malaysia is that Malaysia needs the work, has the factories, and its political situation is not conducive to the raising of objections by privacy rights specialists. Malaysia was the first country to require citizens to carry smart card I.D. cards embedded with chips, and has had them for two years.

Malaysia -- FEC chip .......Sept. 5, 2003

CYBERJAYA, Malaysia (AFP) - Malaysia has bought the rights from a Japanese firm to the world's smallest microchip that can be embedded in everything from currencies to human bodies and will boost the global anti-terror war, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Thursday. Mahathir said the revolutionary miniature chip, developed by Japan's FEC Inc., could be combined with current technology to "greatly prevent the possibilities of terrorist acts" as well as banknote and document counterfeiting.

The application is almost unlimited," he told a news conference after annual talks with global hi-tech chiefs at this town in Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor MSC), an enclave south of the capital Kuala Lumpur modeled after California's Silicon Valley. "We think this is a great breakthrough for Malaysia. It is the first in the world. No other people have come up with such a tiny microchip, particularly as it also has a built-in antenna." The veteran premier, dubbed MM or Malaysian Microchip.

= = == =a DO-IT-Yourself RFID PET reader

Open Standard Pet Microchip Reader Project
MaxMicrochip.com has a detailed, step-by-step tutorial, complete with pictures and screenshots, on building a pet id microchip reader to read all types of these chips. The project consists of parts that can be purchased at Radio Shack/ The Source, and doesn't even require a soldering iron.

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Top 10: The best, worst... and craziest uses of RFID

They've put a chip where? By Gemma Simpson and Jo Best; Published: Thursday 30 November 2006

Children:
Japanese authorities decided to start chipping schoolchildren in one primary school in Osaka a couple of years ago. The kids' clothes and bags were fitted with RFID tags with readers installed in school gates and other key locations to track the minors' movements.

Legoland also introduced a similar scheme to stop children going astray by issuing RFID bracelets for the tots

Pub tables:
Thirsty students can escape the busy bar and still get a pint thanks to RFID tables that deliver orders remotely.

The high-tech bar is fitted with touchscreens so students can get a round in, order a taxi or even chat-up someone at the next table. See snaps of the RFID bar here.

Fulham Football Club:
Fulham FC has started issuing RFID-enabled smartcards to fans to cut queues at the turnstiles and increase safety around the stadium.Around 20,000 of the smartcards have been issued to mainly season ticket holders and club members and contain data on matches each cardholder has paid for. See shots of the technology around the stadium here.

Air passengers:
It was also suggested by boffins at University College London that air passengers should be RFID-tagged as they mingle in the departure lounge to improve airport security. Silicon.com's audience called the idea, amongst other things, Orwellian, intrusive and detrimental to airport security. Click here to see the Best of Reader Comments on the story.

Tanks:
RFID has also made an appearance in the army to try and reduce casualties from 'friendly fire' incidents.

Last year Nato's Operation Urgent Quest exercise tested the potential of a number of combat identity systems under battlefield conditions. See photos of RFID in action here.

Hospital in-patients:
In an effort to trim clinical errors, hospitals in New York and Germany have been tagging their patients. Visitors to the hospitals are given RFID-chipped wristbands to wear which are scanned by medical personnel to bring up their records and make sure the patients are given the correct dosages of drugs.

Blood:
The same clinic which tags its patients is also tagging blood. No vampire-pleasing effort this, rather the Klinikum Saarbruecken is using the tags to make sure the right blood reaches the right patient. Nurses will be able to scan the tags using reader-equipped PDAs or tablet PCs and check that the blood data matches the information held on an RFID-tagged bracelet worn by the patient.

The National Patient Safety Agency in the UK is also considering a similar move.

Suits:
Marks and Spencer has long been associated with being at the forefront of flogging ladies' undies. It's also now at the forefront of item-level tagging, having chipped some of its men's clothes. The retailer has avoided questions of privacy protection by attaching the tag to a label on the suit that can be cut off.

M&S has now extended the trials nationwide.

Passports:
One of the more controversial applications is soon-to-be mandatory use of RFID in passports. The US is leading the way in deployments and the UK isn't far behind.

As well as the obvious privacy fears that surround such rollouts, experts have questioned how secure the passports are with some claiming to have cracked and cloned them already.

Books:
The first item-level rollout in Europe has already taken place in Dutch book store BGN. Each of the books in BGN's Almere store is chipped and a second store, in Maastricht, will soon go the same way, allowing the retailer to track each book from its central warehouse to the shop floor.