Jakarta, Indonesia - A new national identity card will be issued in 2008, the government announced Tuesday.
The new card will use a single identification number, which will be used for drivers' licenses, bank accounts, insurance policies, land certificates, tax registration and voting.
The law -- enacted by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Dec. 29 -- requires the government to register all Indonesians, including those living overseas and born from couples from different citizenships.
It also states the government must register all newborns and deaths to provide an accurate population database.
Home Minister Moh. Ma'ruf said Monday he was optimistic the population registration would be completed in the next two years.
When asked about the inclusion of religion on the identity cards, an issue that has sparked strong protests recently, Rasyid said: "It was an agreement between the government and the House of Representatives when deliberating the bill."
"An appropriate time will come in the future at which time the column of religion in the identity cards will be deleted and instead it will be inserted in the population database," he said.
Minority groups have opposed the identity cards, which list only the six religions recognized by the government -- Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.
Part of the population still adheres to indigenous belief systems that are not recognized by the government. Those who refuse to identify with an official religion are often denied basic public services. Transgendered citizens are also fighting to be allowed to identify themselves as female on the card instead of male.
Rasjid said it was difficult to accommodate "people with abnormal sexual behavior because the government would later be asked to provide special rest rooms for them in public places".
He said the government and local administrations were obliged to treat people equally, regardless of an individual's ethnicity, religion or social status.
The law carries a maximum two-year jail sentence and a maximum fine of Rp 50 million (US$5,555) for anyone, including population and civic registration officials, found guilty of providing or entering incorrect information and data into the population register.