‘84 citizenship applications forwarded to Putrajaya’

The state NRD will receive and vet the applications before they are tabled at my ministry and later forwarded to Putrajaya.

The Ministry of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing has forwarded a total of 84 citizenship applications to Putrajaya on behalf of stateless children in Sarawak from Dec 2016 to Feb this year.

The ministry, which is spearheading a special taskforce to facilitate citizenship applications for stateless children in the state, is also working closely with the state National Registration Department ( NRD) by holding monthly meetings to iron out and hasten the application process.

“The state NRD will receive and vet the applications before they are tabled at my ministry and later forwarded to Putrajaya,” said its minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, adding the ministry was only facilitating cases under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution, whereby applicants must be below 21 years old.

Speaking to the media at her office here yesterday, Fatimah also said the taskforce was given the green light by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, who is also Home Minister, in Aug last year.

She said she was leading the taskforce, with assistance from her assistant ministers Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and Sharifah Hasidah Aman Ghazali.

“We will also be holding our fourth meeting with NRD this month. So far, I am not sure how many new applications have been received by them,” said Fatimah, who is also Dalat assemblywoman.

She insisted that the monthly meetings were held to avoid any backlogs and further delay to the children’s citizenship applications as they would affect their formal education later on.

“With this taskforce, the application process will be shortened. New applicants are urged go to the nearest NRD office,” she added.

According to her, stateless children wanting to go to school would require a special pass and pay an international student’s fee which was burdensome to parents from the low-income segment.

On that note, Fatimah is urging the state Education Department to provide a leeway and allow the stateless children to continue with their studies, especially if their applications were still being processed.

Meanwhile, Fatimah said she would be briefing Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg on the special taskforce soon.

Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Minister