KUCHING, May 18 — Ba’Kelalan state assemblyman Baru Bian today asked Sarawak why the gazettement of an amendment which would confer the native status to children of mixed marriages was delayed despite being passed last year.

He said the delay in gazetting the amendment is causing inconvenience and anxiety to many natives who are of mixed parentage.

"There are still instances of children of mixed marriages between natives and non-natives encountering various problems in matters of land transfers, inheritance and entry into educational institutions,” Baru said during the debate on the opening address of the state assembly sitting here.

He said Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Office (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayed Aman Ghazali had said that the state government was in the midst of drafting the conditions and requirements to be imposed before the amendment could be gazetted and come into force.

"At the November state assembly session last year, in reply to my query on the same matter, the deputy explained that the government was still refining the definition of what it means to be a native in Sarawak.

"Can the minister please explain why the government is taking such a long time in working out who a ‘native’ is and tell us when the Ordinance is expected to be gazetted?” Baru asked.