KUCHING: Stateless children in Sarawak who have applied to the National Registration Department (NRD) for citizenship will be able to attend school when the new academic year starts next month.
State Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah (pic) said they could use the reference number given by the NRD for their applications to enter school as well as gain access to government health facilities.
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She said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had issued two letters addressed to the state Education and Health directors on this matter.
"This is the outcome of our courtesy call on the Home Minister on Jan 17. With these letters, the children are able to get education, so no child will be turned away because they are stateless or because their citizenship status has not been determined.
"As long as they have applied for citizenship and have the reference number, it will serve as the child's identity document," she told reporters ahead of a courtesy call from new Malaysian ambassadors to Brazil and the Holy See, Gloria Corina Tiwet and Hendy Assan respectively, here on Wednesday (Feb 22).
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Fatimah also said her ministry would present temporary documents to 75 stateless children before the start of the new school year.
"This is a state-level initiative, which will give them personal identity documents to enter school and get access to health services at government clinics," she said.
The state government decided last year to issue temporary documents to stateless individuals aged 21 and below while they wait for their citizenship applications to be approved.
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In addition, Fatimah said Saifuddin had agreed to Sarawak's request to continue the special committee on citizenship under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution, which aims to expedite the processing of applications from stateless individuals in Sarawak
The committee, set up in 2016, was formed at the discretion of the Home Minister.
"(Saifuddin) also mentioned that he will sit on the committee with us, meaning the speed of approval or otherwise will be very fast. This is what we want," Fatimah said.
