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By Zora Chan
In one village 100 out of 300 residents ‘stateless’ despite many applications
KUCHING: Malaysia has sent its first man to space two years ago, a mission unimaginable many years ago, but a feat to be proud of today.
However, after 52 years of independence, the country is still struggling with the issue of stateless people. There are more than 50,000 stateless people in Malaysia of different racial background.
The issue has been highlighted year in and year out by the national and local print and electronic media.
In Sarawak, it is estimated that about 10,000 Penans, an indigenous group in the state, are still without the precious identification document - MyKad.
In a Penan settlement called Batu Bungan near Mulu National Park in Miri Division, villagers simply cannot understand why it is taking the National Registration Department (NRD) a long time to approve their birth certificate and identity card applications.
Village headman Beluluk Seng, in his 80s, said about 100 children and adults out of the 300 villagers are still “stateless” today.
He said he got his MyKad years ago, but not his second wife.
“She tried to apply twice, but still no identity card until today. I have no idea why her application failed,” he said when met at the village recently.
The community gave up their nomadic lifestyles and settled at Batu Bungan in 1977. Mulu is reachable by air and river.
Echoing his father’s thoughts, Rose Beluluk, 30, said it was a costly trip to go to the nearest town, Marudi, to apply for their birth certificates and identity cards.
“We have to fork out RM300 from Mulu to Long Panai by long boat and a few more hundreds from Long Panai to Marudi. In Marudi, we need to find a place to put up for a few days before we can return to the village.
“These trips are costly for us because most of us don’t have proper jobs with a stable income,” she pointed out.
Rose claimed that her uncle had also applied for MyKad three times in Marudi, but to no avail.
“I don’t know why. You ask the government,” she pointed out.
The mother of four said she herself was struggling to make ends meet to put food on the table and school her children.
“I make some handicraft to sell while my husband plants vegetables for own consumption. I don’t earn much from my handicraft sale,” she said.
“Therefore, the government should consider the hardship the community has to go through to apply for their birth certificate and MyKad,” she added.
It was reported in a national newspaper that the Home Ministry promised a prompt decision on the fate of applicants for citizenship.
It was also reported that several groups including political parties that had been fighting for the cause of the stateless in the country, wanted the government to cut down on red tape while processing applications for citizenship.
Johore Women’s League president Thanam Viswanathan said unless this issue was immediately settled, the status of a stateless individual could cause an escalation of problems for their future generations.
the borneo post online news.
In one village 100 out of 300 residents ‘stateless’ despite many applications
KUCHING: Malaysia has sent its first man to space two years ago, a mission unimaginable many years ago, but a feat to be proud of today.
However, after 52 years of independence, the country is still struggling with the issue of stateless people. There are more than 50,000 stateless people in Malaysia of different racial background.
The issue has been highlighted year in and year out by the national and local print and electronic media.
In Sarawak, it is estimated that about 10,000 Penans, an indigenous group in the state, are still without the precious identification document - MyKad.
In a Penan settlement called Batu Bungan near Mulu National Park in Miri Division, villagers simply cannot understand why it is taking the National Registration Department (NRD) a long time to approve their birth certificate and identity card applications.
Village headman Beluluk Seng, in his 80s, said about 100 children and adults out of the 300 villagers are still “stateless” today.
He said he got his MyKad years ago, but not his second wife.
“She tried to apply twice, but still no identity card until today. I have no idea why her application failed,” he said when met at the village recently.
The community gave up their nomadic lifestyles and settled at Batu Bungan in 1977. Mulu is reachable by air and river.
Echoing his father’s thoughts, Rose Beluluk, 30, said it was a costly trip to go to the nearest town, Marudi, to apply for their birth certificates and identity cards.
“We have to fork out RM300 from Mulu to Long Panai by long boat and a few more hundreds from Long Panai to Marudi. In Marudi, we need to find a place to put up for a few days before we can return to the village.
“These trips are costly for us because most of us don’t have proper jobs with a stable income,” she pointed out.
Rose claimed that her uncle had also applied for MyKad three times in Marudi, but to no avail.
“I don’t know why. You ask the government,” she pointed out.
The mother of four said she herself was struggling to make ends meet to put food on the table and school her children.
“I make some handicraft to sell while my husband plants vegetables for own consumption. I don’t earn much from my handicraft sale,” she said.
“Therefore, the government should consider the hardship the community has to go through to apply for their birth certificate and MyKad,” she added.
It was reported in a national newspaper that the Home Ministry promised a prompt decision on the fate of applicants for citizenship.
It was also reported that several groups including political parties that had been fighting for the cause of the stateless in the country, wanted the government to cut down on red tape while processing applications for citizenship.
Johore Women’s League president Thanam Viswanathan said unless this issue was immediately settled, the status of a stateless individual could cause an escalation of problems for their future generations.
the borneo post online news.
