A right to belong in Malaysia

When a child born to a Malaysian parent is denied citizenship, they are denied of their rights as children to education, healthcare and protection. Photo: Freepik

Eight-year-old Botiza is a non-citizen child living in Sabah. Even though her mother is Malaysian, because her father is a foreigner and she was born overseas – in Abu Dhabi, UAE – Botiza hasn’t able to get a Malaysian citizenship.

“Every year, my mother has to go through a longer process to enroll me in school, and this process is repeated yearly, even though it’s for the same school. And although I’m the child of a Malaysian, I’m not eligible to get textbook loans from school,” she said in a video during the Child Rights Coalition Malaysia’s launch of 12 position papers, website and media guide on Human Rights Day last December.