Delay in processing citizenship applications by children under 21 will affect their education
KUCHING: Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah is unhappy that it is taking the Home Ministry as long as five years to process applications for citizenship from children below 21 years old in the state.
She told a press conference at her office at Bangunan Baitulmakmur in Petra Jaya here yesterday.
“Once they are 21 years old with no education background, it’s difficult for them to get proper jobs,” she pointed out.
Fatimah revealed that the Home Ministry had approved 95 out of 241 applications for citizenships from children in the state since 2016 until 2017,
According to the minister, since the establishment of Citizenship Status Special Committee under Article 15A in 2016 in Sarawak until January this year, a total of 631 applications for citizenship have been received from children in the state.
Fatimah said as chairperson of the committee, she would be making a courtesy call on Home Minister, Tan Sri Dato Muhyiddin Yassin on February 22, 2019 to discuss the citizenship applications of stateless children below 21 years old in Sarawak.
“With the other delegates from my ministry, we will demand that the Home Ministry put the applications for citizenship under Article 15A under special consideration.
“This is to ensure that the children are able to go to school easily and receive school assistance including textbooks, lower school fees, welfare and medical aid,” said Fatimah.
Currently, the minister pointed out that children with stateless status are charged higher fees compared to Malaysian children.
“For parents who can afford the fees, it is fine but it is a cause of concern in the case of poor families with many children. The primary school fee a stateless child has to pay is RM120 per year while the secondary school fee is RM240 per year,
“Some parents can ask for monthly installments but how about the poor families with many children? Therefore, we will bring this matter up to Muhyiddin to seek for better and faster solution,” added Fatimah.
The stateless status of these children is attributed to two main factors namely the children were born before their parents married or the parents still do not have the proper marriage certificates.
