By Jaythaleela K
MIRI, Oct 26: To ensure that no child is born stateless in Sarawak, parents need to register their birth immediately, says Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
She emphasized that birth registration is vital to establishing the child’s legal identity and preventing him or her from being stateless.
Fatimah disclosed this on Tuesday during a press conference with local media in Miri after attended a meeting with National Registration Department (JPN) Miri and Sarawak Welfare department (Miri) at the Sarawak Islamic Complex here.
Prior to the press conference, Fatimah met six individuals who were having problems with their citizenship status.
“Due to their citizenship status, they were having difficulties applying for government financial aid, but we will assist them,” said Fatimah.
“Registration of births or deaths must be done at JPN, otherwise, other complications or chains of issues would arise due to the failure of not registering properly,” she stressed.
Fatimah pointed out that undocumented children would experience difficulties such as being unable to attend a public school or find a job.
She said to tackle such issues, the State and Federal government via the ‘Menyemai Kasih Rakyat’ (Mekar) mobile unit has gone to the field especially to the rural areas in Sarawak to help rural folks register for their identification cards (MyKad).
“Through these initiatives, those in the rural areas can also register their child’s birth,” she said, adding that this proactive approach is to help ease the process of those residing in rural areas in Sarawak apply for their identification cards.
Also present at the press conference were JPN Miri assistant officer Dominic Upai Lagan and Sarawak Welfare department director Noriah Ahmad. — DayakDaily
