KUCHING: The Sarawak Special Committee on Citizenship (SSCOC) under Article 15A will negotiate with the Centre of Technical Excellence (CENTEXS) on allowing the stateless children to study in their institution.
Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, who co-chaired the committee, stated that the negotiation is held in order that the children are given the opportunities to gain skills in the institution, thus making it easier for them to apply for a job thereafter.
“However, we would propose that for the stateless children to study at CENTEXS, they would need to provide proof that they have applied for citizenship under Article 15A and are waiting for the approval from the Home Affairs Ministry.
“We hope that before they graduate from the institution, their application would be approved,” she said during the press conference after her meeting on citizenship application under Article at Baitulmakmur II Building on Saturday (Feb 12).
Having said this, Fatimah reiterated that whatever that can be done administratively for the stateless children, if it is within the State’s purview, the committee will do their best to help.
For the record, ever since the establishment and reinstatement of the committee, there have been a total of 881 citizenship applications received statewide.
“Since the approval of citizenship can only be done by the Home Affairs Ministry, we hope that whatever process and procedures that must be done at the Federal level, it will not take more than two years for the applicants to get the result of their citizenship status.
“This is because the longer the time taken for the approval, the more the children will be deprived of their education. This in turn will affect their future,” she explained.
In the meantime, she also disclosed that the National Registration Department will do their part by going on the ground to do outreach programmes together with related agencies in order to address this stateless issue.
