Adoptive parents of stateless children left in the dark
THERE has been so much news about stateless kids who are grown up and still waiting for their MyKad and of a few receiving it after many years of repeated rejections.
The feature in The Star on April 3 was about a 19-year-old who was adopted as a child and whose citizenship application was rejected three times with no reason given (“Teen hopes to get MyKad”, online at bit.ly/star_teen).
Similar cases are being talked about lately, either through the media or through personal encounters, and denying citizenship without a reason made known to hopeful adoptive parents makes little logical sense to anyone.
So many unwarranted consequences follow in the life of a stateless child left in limbo. Though they can go to public schools, the stories of such kids shared in newspaper articles is that they are not entitled to free textbook schemes, medical (vaccinations) or dental aid and some are not allowed to participate in inter-college activities or, worse, are even stopped from sitting for their government exams!
It is with deep concern and absolute bewilderment that I respectfully seek answers from the relevant authorities on behalf of adoptive parents who open their hearts and homes to give stateless kids a better quality of life.
After speaking to lawyers familiar with the issue, it is easy to assume that this lack of transparency is caused by bureaucracy and red tape – or is it just to buy time for decisions to be made on a case-by-case basis?
What exactly are the considerations and do they even take into account stateless children adopted by parents championing their cause? What are the reasons for rejection (most cases, three times)?
Exactly why can’t a parent transfer citizenship to their kids, as prominent lawyer Ranee Sreedharan suggested could be done by amending the Adoption Act 1952?
When the Adoption Act does not address the citizenship of adopted children, it gives little support to the notion of adoption being a positive option for the betterment of a child and a proactive solution to many social ills such as dumping unwanted babies or leaving children neglected or abandoned.
Shelter homes will be packed with an increasing number of stateless children who are trapped within a system that puts their future in an uncertain state. Not forgetting that the child is often “born into the state of statelessness” and grossly disadvantaged by circumstances beyond their knowledge or control.
I am therefore appealing on behalf of adoptive parents like myself for anyone from the National Registration Department, the Home Ministry or state welfare departments to kindly enlighten us in response to the questions posed in this letter.
It is about time we got answers to this issue.