I welcome the announcement of PH new government that a task force headed by our PM Tun Dr Mahathir will be formed to look into the welfare of Indians, women, youth and Orang Asli.
During the PH presidential council meeting yesterday, the problems of red ICs and stateless children were raised and discussed.
In November 2016, the then Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed that there were 290,437 stateless children in Malaysia who were below the age of 18. A number larger than the population of Perlis.
In another piece of parliamentary written reply by him, between 2012 and January 2017, 15,394 children born in Malaysia were denied citizenship even though their fathers are Malaysian citizens. This means that everyday, there are 8 children born without citizenship.
Stateless children in Malaysia have been deprived from various fundamental human rights. No free education like other Malaysian children, no free medical service in government hospital, no passport, no driving license, no permanent and decent job.
These stateless children are not foreigners, some of them are abandoned at birth, some are adopted by Malaysians but cannot trace their birth parents, and more are born to a foreign mother who did not register their marriage to their Malaysian spouse. We should not punish the innocent children for the mistakes of their parents.
I urge PH new government to uphold our pledge in Buku Harapan, immediately simplify the process of granting citizenship to these stateless children, because they ARE children of Malaysian citizens. Citizenship should be granted when the fathers produce DNA report, or have legally adopted the children.
Malaysians have given Pakatan Harapan a chance to reset and rebuild Malaysia, we should start it by giving new hope to the stateless children and red IC holders.
For more information on stateless children, pls view the video at the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6z7pK4BMTtQxCdGtSy3ghosjJu46YMOv