DALAT: Children without Malaysian citizenship can now have access to education and health services using official receipts.
Women, Early Childhood and Community WellbeingMinister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said this was made possible following a meeting with Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on Jan 17.
“We have agreed the National Registration Department (NRD) will issue a confirmation letter that the official receipt for citizenship application under Article 15A can be used by the Sarawak State Education Department.
“This official receipt is intended as a confirmation of the child’s identity to enter school in Sarawak.
“With the assistance of the Home Minister, he will help facilitate and speed up the process of children with citizenship problems getting education facilities here because education is a right for all,” she said.
Fatimah said this during an interview session with the media at the Mekar Komuniti Programme organised by the NRD at Waterfront Dalat today (Feb 24).
A confirmation letter regarding the official receipt has also been forwarded to the director of the Sarawak Education Department and the Sarawak Health Department.
“The documents include official receipts for citizenship applications under Article 15A and late birth registration application receipts issued by the NRD Sarawak,” she said.
In the same development, she also touched on the issue involving forced labour on children at farms.
“So far, no children have worked as forced labourers. In Sarawak, we provide school facilities on the farms.
“We also have a Community Learning Centre (CLC) to make it easier for children without citizenship to get educational facilities.
“A total of 18 CLCs are registered and operating in Sarawak where teachers and assistant teachers are Indonesian citizens and are paid by the Indonesian government,” Fatimah said.
Shee advised farm owners to take the initiative to establish CLCs in their respective areas and work with the government to apply for CLC registration.
