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KUCHING, Sept 20: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) has urged the Sarawak government to eliminate the “burdensome” RM100 fee required for individuals to apply for native recognition.
Responding to the announcement that Sarawakians of mixed parentage can initiate the process of applying native status recognition at District Offices statewide starting Nov 1, PBK president Voon Lee Shan emphasised that imposing a fee demonstrates a lack of sincerity on the part of the Sarawak government in assisting natives who seek to gain official native recognition.
“Such a fee imposed on the natives, especially in rural areas, is heavy and should not be imposed at all. There is no reason to impose any fee on them for application.
“For natives living far from towns in places inaccessible by roads, the costs of going to town and back home after meeting government officers in the District Office to make the application for recognition as natives may incur much of their expenses and time,” he said in a statement today.
Moreover, Voon questioned why would individuals need to apply for native recognition when the law has now recognised them as natives, and bear the unnecessary burden.
He highlighted the inconveniences and obstacles that applicants may encounter, including the possibility of having to spend nights in town before returning home and, upon approval, making an additional trip to collect the necessary documentation.
“Another worry they will may have to face is whether their applications will be approved and if so, how fast this could be done?” he questioned.
Voon believes that there are thousands of children born to Sarawak natives who remain unrecognised under the current legal framework.
Additionally, he also raised concerns regarding the challenges faced by individuals lacking proper documents such as identity cards and birth certificates, who may struggle to establish their Sarawakian heritage and seek native recognition. — DayakDaily
