‘Stateless kids can attend school while citizenship application is processed’

PUTRAJAYA: Stateless children whose citizenship applications are being processed can attend school, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

“These children have the right to pursue their education while the application is being processed,” he said.

“If there are schools that do not accept them, their parents or guardians can refer their case to the district education offices or the ministry,” he said after attending the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly.

Zahid was responding to reports of a 7-yearold girl called Darshana, who had been denied admission to a school in Seremban as she was classified as a non-citizen.

It was reported that the girl’s adoptive parents, B. Ganesan and V. Malliga, had tried to register Darshana at a school opposite their house, but was told by the school that she must have a passport and proper documents to do so.

Ganesan said his adopted daughter was categorised as non-citizen due to lack of information about her biological parents.

Ganesan and Malliga, both 48, were recognised as her legal guardians when their adoption was legally completed in 2015.

Zahid said the adoptive parents could refer the matter to the district education office to resolve the issue.

“The citizenship application documents sent to the National Registration Department (NRD) should be suffice for the schools to allow the enrolment of the affected children.

“The NRD receives about 100,000 applications for the MyKid identity cards daily.

“There are 11 categories where some of these children fall under, and this may have contributed to the delay or rejection of approval.

“Some of the reasons include situations where children were adopted, but the documentation had yet to be completed, and where the children were born out of wedlock.

“Other cases include locals who are married to foreigners and their children were born abroad before returning to Malaysia.

“Some of these children also have problems applying for citizenship,” he said.

Some of the reasons include situations where children were adopted, but the documentation had yet to be completed, and where the children were born out of wedlock. DATUK SERI DR AHMAD ZAHID HAMIDI Deputy prime minister