By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Aug 25: The “Menyemai Kasih Rakyat” (Mekar) mobile unit will go down to the field to help rural communities register for their identification card (MyKad).
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Mohamed Said assured that the ministry will ensure that individuals who have rights and deserve to be accorded Malaysian citizenship will not be ignored.
“We will also discuss with the Education Departments and state governments as well as community leaders to work together to help our rural residents,” he told the Dewan Rakyat in responding to Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong (Hulu Rajang-GPS) and Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (Beruas-PH) today.
The ministry through National Registration Department (NRD), he added, had taken proactive steps to ensure the ease of process in the registration for identification cards for eligible individuals throughout Malaysia including in the rural areas through Mekar initiative which consisted of registration mobile unit and bus mobile.
“The mobile unit also provided various services including giving advice on registration of identification cards as well as birth and death.
“Other initiatives carried out by NRD include giving talks on the importance of identification cards as well as periodic strategic collaboration with the Education Department and state government, as well as community leaders to identify and register students and residents who have yet to obtain their identification card,” he informed.
Wilson pointed out that Sarawak used to have a Special Citizenship Committee but it had been abolished during the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government time.
“For us, it served as a fast track to solve the MyKad issue.
“In Hulu Rajang, there are still many native people in Long Singut, Batu 20, Batu 19, Batu 18 at Jalan Bakun who have problems in applying for the red or green identification card.
“This situation caused complications for their children who will be sitting for the public exams for Form 5 and 6. As such, I hope there will be a mechanism to help the rural community, where they will be treated fairly without politicising the MyKad ownership process,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ismail said that among the criteria to obtain citizenship in Malaysia include marital status and citizenship status of biological parents at birth as well as legislation related to marriage registration, adoption and legal status of children and immigration rules.—DayakDaily
