Stateless siblings’ hopes renewed

Out-of-wedlock kids looking forward to the future — schooling

MELAKA: Hope renews for two stateless siblings from Klebang here after Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy agreed to look into their predicament.

Nur Feyra Natasha Lili Noor Azahar, 12, and her seven-year-old brother Ahmad Ziqri Arayyan Lili had sought help from The Star to connect them with the minister.

Their guardian Yusliana Ahmad, 57, said the siblings were out-of-wedlock children and had been wandering around mosques in the area since their mother passed away in 2016.

She said she had been taking care of them since then and decided to reach out for the minister after reading news about stateless sisters in Melaka who enrolled in schools with the assistance of Waytha Moorthy in February.

Nur Feyra Natasha said her parents’ failure to register for an identity card had made it difficult for her to apply for it now.

“We know it’s a long journey for us but there is hope now after the two sisters got help from the minister.

“Neighbours told my guardian to quickly get help from the minister and I was surprised when he responded by telling us not to worry,” she said.

Nur Feyra Natasha said their lives turned topsy-turvy after their mother’s death.

“Many perceived us foreigners as we had no home to live before my dad came one day and handed us to Makcik Yusliana in July,” she said.

For Ahmad Ziqri, registering in Year One would be a dream come true.

“I want to go to school. Please tell the minister to help me fast,” he said.

Waytha Moorthy, who is in charge of National Unity and Social Wellbeing, when contacted said he had received a few cases of children without identification documents in Melaka.

“I am making arrangement for all of them to come to Putrajaya to do the necessary with the help of the relevant authorities,” he said.

Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik meanwhile voiced hopes that NGOs would assist undocumented children to gain access to education by identifying and referring them to the relevant agencies such as the Welfare Department, National Registration Department and district education officers.

“They are all Malaysians but were not registered because of technical reasons; for instance, their parents were married in another country.

“We need to ensure they are able to gain access to the schools as that is where they belong,” he said after attending an event in Pasir Gudang, Johor.

Maszlee said the ministry’s zero-reject policy, which was fully implemented this year, saw 2,635 stateless children enrolled in national schools throughout the country.