Have clear instruction on adoption process — Rep

SIBU: The government is urged to come up with a clear instruction on the adoption process, especially for the stateless children.

Making the call is Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang who said there was no clear instruction which department parents should go to first before they could adopt a stateless child.

She said parents were being kicked from one department to another like a football.

She added that when parents wanted to adopt a child, but did not know where the biological parents were, they would apply for guardianship of the child from the court first.

“Once they ( parents) have received a court order they would apply for the adoption of the child through the district office.

“However, in the past few years, district offices have refused to give the adoption application forms because they did not know where the child came from or whether the child is a Malaysian or not.

“District offices would ask parents to apply for citizenship first at the National Registration Department before they could go ahead with the adoption process. On the other hand, the NRD would refuse to give the citizenship application form and instead ask parents to get the form first from the district office,” she claimed.

She added the procedures were not consistent in different places such as in Sibu, Kuching and Bintangor.

“We want a set procedure; instruct us what to do so that every government department can follow... a set procedure that has consistency and uniformity.”

Her personal view is that the adoption should come first before the application of citizenship.

“Based on Section 5 of the Adoption Amendment Ordinance, the power of adoption lies with the district office,” she said.