KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry and National Registration Department (NRD) should provide assistance and early intervention to help the stateless waiting for long periods to receive their citizenship, says Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
The Muar MP said some sense of humanity should be displayed as well to help the stateless.
This comes in light of four stateless siblings - Aziq Fadyan, 24; Azreen Batrisya, 22; Azzahra Batrisya, 12; and Azalea Batrisya, nine - purportedly being denied schooling for not having identification cards.
“I applaud the Home Ministry for the move to shorten the citizenship application screening process.But for those waiting for a long time, there should be early intervention, especially the case involving the four siblings,” says Syed Saddiq.
“It's not just about the four siblings but thousands out there who were born, grew up and studied in Malaysia, yet they do not have citizenship,” he added at a press conference in Parliament on Thursday (Oct 26).
The Home Ministry and NRD should not be afraid of these issues being highlighted in the media, Syed Saddiq said.
“We don’t raise these issues to pick a fight with the NRD. Instead, we want wide coverage to generate better debates by MPs in Parliament. The minister can take action to improve the situation,” said Syed Saddiq.
He added that this is why the issue was being brought up in the media, saying that the intervention will not just help them but also in policy making, which is a good and progressive step.
“Do not see us or them as enemies as the reality is that they just want justice and I am carrying out my responsibility to help them,” the Muar MP added.
Syed Saddiq also said he was confident that thousands of others were facing issues in getting their citizenship and not just the four siblings as recently highlighted.
He said the case of the four siblings were clear cut.
“Their father is Malaysian. They were born and grew up here. Two of the siblings studied here and want to take their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificates. They are part of us.
“They have the same Malaysian dream. Their parents' marriage status has also been verified by the Indonesia embassy,” he said.
Syed Saddiq added that he sympathised with the four siblings as two had to postpone taking their SPM while the other two were unable to pursue education and only receive homeschooling.
“Imagine our children being cut off from education. The longer we wait for the process to be finalised, the worse it will become. The country will be on the losing end,” he said.
