KUCHING, Feb 12: The Sarawak Special Committee on Citizenship will discuss with State-owned training institutions to allow stateless children to continue their studies while waiting for their citizenship application to be approved.
For example, Minister for Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development (KPWK) Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah cited the State-owned Centre of Technical Excellence (Centex), saying it is easier to make an administrative arrangement with the institution which is under the State’s purview.
“We will negotiate with them to allow these children to study or gain knowledge at their institution.
“But the children must have proof that they have applied for their citizenship application under the Article 15A of the Federal Constitution,” she told reporters during a press conference held after the Ministry’s Meeting on ‘Application for Citizenship under Article 15A’, at the KWPK office in Petra Jaya, today.
The Sarawak Special Committee on Citizenship is under the purview of the Welfare, Community Well-being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Ministry and was formed in 2016 but came to a halt in 2019 when Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over the Federal government.
Fatimah also hoped that the citizenship application process improved at the Federal level would continue to be implemented to expedite the process.
With each passing day, the children are getting older, and if they cannot continue their studies and obtain proper education, it would affect their future and general wellbeing.
“This would eventually lead to increased social problems as they do not know where they belong. They would not feel like Malaysians,” she added.
As of February this year, the committee has received nine citizenship applications. — DayakDaily
