By Ling Hui & Karen Bong
KUCHING, March 16: Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg presented Temporary Identification Documents (DSITKS) to 45 stateless children in Sarawak here today.
With DSITKS, he said, these children now have access to healthcare and education, especially when the 2023 academic year is about to begin.
“Sometimes, we don’t have certain documents due to the lengthy application process, and because of that, many children in Sarawak are stateless.
“They do not have basic access to education and healthcare. That’s why the Sarawak government was very concerned with these families who cannot send their children to school, what more to get health treatment.
“So, we needed to find a solution. We thought that these children can be given temporary documents before getting permanent ones so that they can access certain services in the meantime.
“And that’s how the Temporary Identification Documents, DSITKS, came about,” he said during the handover ceremony held at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.
Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, Deputy Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Development Datuk Rosey Yunus, and Sarawak State Secretary Dato Sri Mohammad Abu Bakar Marzuki. — DayakDaily
