PM: Opposition’s figures are false
> Mega Mydaftar campaign proves claim of 300,000 stateless Indians not true
KUALA LUMPUR: The Opposition’s claim that there are 300,000 stateless Indians in the country has been proven to be false, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
He said the Mega Mydaftar campaign, that started in January, found only over 2,500 Indians without citizenship.
In refuting the Opposition’s claim, he said the number was picked out of the air just like claims the government had brought in 40,000 Bangladesh nationals to help Barisan Nasional win the last election.
Najib said the National Registration Department, the Home Ministry and the SocioEconomic Development Community Unit had gone to the ground to register undocumented Indians.
He added that the Mydaftar campaign from 2010 to 2016 had found 12,726 unregistered Indians.
“The government has approved citizenship for 7,120 people and will work hard to ensure every Indian born before Merdeka gets their citizenship, but the problem of documentation needs to be resolved,” Najib said in his speech before handing out citizenship certificates to 30 individuals.
He said one of the main problems in giving citizenship is the lack of documentation and all related government agencies are working on how to resolve the problem.
He also urged those who get married in temples and have children to register their marriage and the birth of their children.
Najib said although Indians make up 7.4% of the population, the government will work hard to ensure that no community is left behind in the socio-economy development of the country.