KUCHING, June 22 — DAP’s Bukit Assek State Assemblywoman Irene Chang today urged the federal government to be clear with regard to the rights of holders of MyKas, a temporary resident card document or the green identity card.

She said the government should provide a comprehensive list on what they can and cannot do, especially with respect to basic rights such as education, right to independence via transportation, right to free movement, and right to employment.

“This will be beneficial for the country as these people would be given the opportunity to serve our nation and Sarawak,” Chang said in a statement.

She cited the cases of five Chinese Sarawakian children, who were successful in their applications for MyKas, as examples of what they could do with the identification document, which is very different from the standard blue MyKad issued to all the citizens.

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“In fact, I also find that several government departments are unable to fully ascertain the use of a MyKas or what a holder of MyKas is allowed or not allowed to do,” she said.

She said there are also a great number of limitations encountered by the MyKas holders, especially in their day-to-day lives.

“I have spoken to a few banks and was given to understand that they might consider MyKas holders’ application to open bank accounts.

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“However, this would be considered in a case to case basis,” she said.

She also asked if a MyKas holder is able to obtain a valid driver’s licence.

Chang said years ago a man from Kapit was previously able to obtain a valid driver’s licence based on his MyKas document, but when he wanted to renew his driver’s licence, it was rejected.

“When I made inquiries with the Road Transport Department in Putrajaya and Sarawak, I was not able to obtain a consistent answer,” Chang said, adding some officers had stated that MyKas holders could apply for a driver’s licence so long as the expiry date of the driver’s licence is in tandem with the expiry date of MyKas.

“Other officers however, have said that it was not allowed.

“I hope that the Ministry for Transport can clarify this once and for all, and I hope that MyKas holders will be able to access their right to maintain their independence as much as possible,” she said.

Chang said Sarawak, especially Sibu, is severely lacking in efficient public transportation and that a majority of the Sibu residents are relying on motorcycles and cars to get around.

She stressed that MyKas is a government-issued document and should be validly recognised by all agencies.

“It is well-known that a child’s pending citizenship application takes years, and in the meantime, they should be given the protection and right to independence by the government.

“It is acknowledged that the issuance of MyKas does not mean that a person would be considered a citizen.

“Nevertheless, this does not mean that they should not be allowed to access the basic necessities in their lives either, which have already been severely affected by the slow processing of citizenship applications and ambiguous criteria and conditions to be granted Malaysian citizenship,” Chang said.