Many still awaiting citizenship

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PETALING JAYA: There are still many people yet to receive Malay­sian citizenship, permanent residency or birth certificates even though the Home Ministry has cleared 70% of the backlog of citizenship applications, said Wanita MCA.

Since Jan 1 this year, late registration of birth certificates accounted for 93,360 cases of backlogged applications. Applica­tions for citizenship accounted for 32,927 cases, followed by entry permits with 16,812 cases.

In a statement yesterday, Wanita MCA chairperson Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun hoped that the Home Ministry would process applications involving stateless children before the end of the year, particularly cases of indigenous children or “estate children” whose births were unrecorded.

She also hoped applications for schoolchildren with one foreign parent and born prior to the parents’ marriage registration would be approved, as the children were denied education benefits like free textbooks because of this.

Chew was confident that the Ministry’s KPI target of processing all applications by the end of the year could be achieved after their applications were processed.

“Wanita MCA reiterates its position that any child born of at least one Malaysian parent, irrespective of the parent’s gender, should be accorded all his or her rights as Malaysian citizens as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

“Enabling one’s basic human rights as accorded through citizenship for a child to enjoy holistic development and non-discrimination is also in line with Malay­sia’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, of which Malay­­sia is a signatory,” Chew added.

Meanwhile, Gerakan central unity bureau head Dr Asharuddin Ahmad said the Government’s decision to approve the maiden batch of applications for citizenship has “righted a wrong”.

“The 92 applicants waited many years to be accepted as Malaysians. The decision is in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s 1Malaysia concept.

“The PM has walked the talk that Malaysia is for all Malaysians,” Asharuddin said yesterday.

He also commended Home Minister Datuk Seri Hisham­muddin Hussein for personally looking into the backlog of citizenship applications.

Asharuddin also hoped Hisham­muddin and ministry officers would carefully vet the rest of the applications, notably the scores of foreign nationals whose spouses were Malaysian. He said many foreigners who were professionals and spouses of Malaysians were forced to work elsewhere because they could not get citizenship or permanent residency status.

He also urged the applications of those who were no threat to national security and were loyal to the country to be approved.