KUCHING, Feb 14 — The Ministry of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development has conducted awareness and advocacy programmes to address the issue of statelessness and personal document problems in Sarawak.
According to its minister Datuk Sri Fatimah Abdullah, the Social Development Council (MPS) has been appointed to implement the programmes since 2017.
“Since 2017, a total of 61 programmes have been conducted in vulnerable, at-risk and affected communities, especially those living in villages along foreign borders,” said Fatimah in a press conference after the Coordination for Identity Document Issues in Sarawak meeting yesterday.
She added that the implementation is through collaboration with agencies such as Sarawak National Registration Department (JPN), Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak, Sarawak Islamic Religious Department (Jais), Sarawak State Health Department (JKN), Sarawak State Education Department (JPNS), District Offices and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Fatimah then urged parents who applied for an entry permit through the Malaysian Immigration Department in Sarawak to subsequently apply for MyPR if their entry permit was approved.
“After having MyPR for the prescribed period, the applicant is advised to apply for citizenship status under Article 19(1) of the Federal Constitution, which is citizenship through naturalisation,” she added.
On another matter, Fatimah, who is also the chairman of the Sarawak MPS, also gave feedback following the case of siblings Amastiasa, 23 and Jones Beiji, 26, apart from Mohamad Faiz here.
“The MPS and the state’s JPN have conducted community welfare operations to address the issues they face which arise due to their birth not being registered by the biological father who is a citizen.
“Following my conversation with their biological father, the father came to JPN Sarawak office as the organiser to apply for identity documents of Amastiasa and Jones on Feb 4, 2022,” said Fatimah.
On Feb 7 this year, the required documents were completed and sent to JPN Sarawak and the two siblings are expected to obtain their valid identity documents within six months.
Meanwhile, in the case of Mohamad Faiz, MPS and JPN Sarawak have conducted operations to track down and identify his issue of identity documents.
However, it is known that he was born before his parents married in an orderly and lawful manner.
His mother is a citizen of the Republic of Indonesia, while his father is a citizen born in Sarawak.
Mohamad Faiz is also holder of the Republic of Indonesia citizenship passport and his application to obtain citizenship status under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution was rejected. — Borneo Post
