Home Ministry must commit to solving stateless children issue, says MCA

IPOH: A lack of citizenship will rob a child of experiencing a complete life. Therefore, the Home Ministry must commit to solving the issue of stateless children in Malaysia, says MCA international communication and diplomacy bureau deputy chairman Neow Choo Seong (pic).

He said the government should look into cases of children born locally to non-Malaysian mothers with Malaysian fathers but were not granted automatic citizenship.

"Restrictions due to lack of citizenship will no doubt rob a child of experiencing a complete life, as they face various obstacles, including obtaining education and healthcare, and fundamental human rights.

"We hope that the Home Ministry will look into this matter urgently. A lot of cases like this happen when couples register their marriage late, or when the mother flees back to their home country such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Cambodia after giving birth," he said in a statement Wednesday (April 12)

On Feb 23, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the ministry was targeting to process at least 10,000 citizenship applications by the end of the year

Neow added that stateless children would face more difficulties as they become adults.

"It will be more difficult for them to get employed and live a normal life compared to other people. This may burden their families.

"The mistakes of parents should not fall on the child's shoulders, especially in the case of technicalities such as registering marriages late.

"MCA urges the government and the Home Ministry to commit themselves to resolving this issue and protecting the interests of these children," he said, adding that the party was willing to lend assistance to the government.

"Anyone who is facing such a situation may contact MCA headquarters at 03-2203 3888 or any MCA branch nationwide to submit an application.

"I will collect all the applications and follow-up accordingly towards a resolution of the issue," he said.