KUCHING: A Special Task Force (PPK) formed to address those without identification documents received a total of 549 applications for late birth registration in first three months (Q1) of this year.
Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing, Datuk Hajah Fatimah Abdullah said it was the result of 15 operations carried out in the three months period.
“Of the number, the PPK Panel on the ground and Technical Committee approved 377 applications while 165 applications were rejected and seven applications are being looked into by the Technical Committee,” she said.
According to her, the PPK is focusing on operations in the rural areas throughout the state to seek children or students who are without birth certificates, with the assistance of their respective members of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN).
Without birth certificates, school students are barred from sitting for their public examinations such as the Form 3 Assessment (PT3), Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM).
She also pointed out that there were several factors that have led to an application being rejected by the Interview Panel on the field and the Technical Committee. Among them are that the applicant is not certified by a Tuai Rumah/Village Chief/Headman as an indigenous people of Sarawak. This is because they (Tuai Rumah/Village Chief/Headman) do not know the background of the applicant or the applicant is a foreign national who is believed to live in areas between the Sarawak and Kalimantan border.
She added that they (the applicants) may have entered the state after the formation of Malaysia without going through the Immigration Department and subsequently settled in this country undocumented.
Fatimah stressed that during the interview with the applicants, some of them claimed that they were not born in Malaysia but have been residing in Sarawak for a long time, is also a factor of their applications being rejected.
In addition, she said there was also evidence of the applicants having identification documents from other country.
Fatimah said this at a press conference after chairing a meeting of the Special Committee on Citizenship at Baitulmakmur in Petra Jaya near here, last Tuesday.
She also said the government would continue with its efforts to solve locals who do not have identification documents.
“This year 50 operations have been planned to start from 25 January.
“For the month of April, several areas of operation have been identified namely Kampung Jagus, Lambir (6 to 8 April); Bekenu Community Council (12 to 16 April); Rural Service Centre (RSC) Long Latei (21 to 24 April); SK Ulu Pelagus (18 to 19 April); Rumah Jangit, Jalan Igu, Tamin (20-22 April) and Dewan Masyarakat Serian (18 to 20 April),” she said.
Sixty-three operations were carried out throughout the state from 15 September, 2016 until 31 December, 2016 where 4,098 applications were received for late birth registration.
Of the number, PPK Panel and Technical Committee approved 2,885 applications while 1,213 applications were rejected.
