KUCHING: Increased public awareness and improved legal adoption processes have significantly reduced the number of problematic citizenship cases in Sarawak, particularly those filed under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution.
Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said the drop in applications under Article 15A, which typically involve children born to non-citizen mothers, reflects greater awareness among the public on the importance of registering marriages and adoptions in accordance with the law.
“This is a positive development.
“When couples follow legal procedures, their children are automatically entitled to proper documentation and citizenship status and the number of cases requiring urgent intervention has decreased compared to previous years,” she said.
She said this in a press conference after conducting a working visit to the National Registration Department (JPN) at Bangunan Tun Datuk Patinggi Tuanku Haji Bujang on Friday.
Fatimah also highlighted the ministry’s concern over undocumented children, especially among those adopted informally or abandoned without any legal framework in place.
“These children face serious challenges when they lack birth certificates or identification cards.
“It affects their access to education and government assistance,” she stressed.
To address long-standing anomalies, she said the Sarawak Cabinet had in September 2024 approved a significant policy shift, allowing children with unknown biological parentage to be granted ‘K’ status on their identity cards, provided they are legally adopted by Sarawakians.
“This move has enabled 42 cases to be resolved so far, giving these children proper legal identity and access to state initiatives,” she stated.
Fatimah also commended JPN for its success in reducing late birth registrations.
“As of May 2, there were zero cases of birth registrations made beyond the 42-day legal period.
“This shows that our outreach and education efforts are bearing fruit,” she added.
She reminded that proper documentation is crucial not only for legal identity, but also for eligibility for key government initiatives, such as the Endowment Fund Sarawak (RM1,000 for every Sarawakian child) and free tertiary education at selected local institutions.
“Without proper documentation, these children risk being left out.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure no child is left behind,” she said.
