SONG: A total of 9,314 citizenship applications have been received from across the state.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Special Task Force from the National Registration Department will facilitate the citizenship application process for these individuals in the hinterlands of Sarawak.
He said the establishment of this special task force stemmed from discussions with Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in July.
“I had a meeting with the Premier. In that meeting, we confirmed the implementation or establishment of a special task force to assist Sarawak residents without identification.
“The total number of applications received come from across the state, particularly in hard-to-reach interior areas.
“The 9,314 applications are categorised by zones, including Kuching, Sri Aman, Sibu, Kapit, Bintulu and Miri.
“There are four categories of identification documents, encompassing birth certificates, non-citizen birth certificates, and temporary identification such as MyKAS. The registration also includes those without any identification documents,” he said during a work visit to oversee the special team addressing Sarawakians without citizenship at Rumah Garing here on Sunday (Nov 19).
The first phase of the Pilot Population Without Identification project took place in Bau from October 19 to 20, extending to parts of the Miri and Kapit zones.
As of November 15, the total applications received through the task force operation amounted to 2,381 involving various categories.
Of these, 984 applications had to do with a lack of identification documents; 837 fell under the category of status determination for Sarawak Birth Certificate holders; 23 were for status determination for non-Sarawak Birth Certificate holders; 205 were for temporary identification card (MyKAS) holders; and 28 were for permanent resident identity card (MyPR) holders.
The remaining 304 applications involved foreign passport holders and other categories.
The implementation of the task force operation is expected to help resolve the issue of Sarawak residents without identification, underscoring the close cooperation between the federal and state governments.
