Not schooling as birth cert ‘withheld’
Julitah Bahiau has sought the release of her son’s birth cer ficate for the umpteenth me from the Na onal Registra on Department (JPN) but all in vain.
KOTA KINABALU: Julitah Bahiau has sought the release of her son’s birth certificate for the umpteenth time from the National Registration Department (JPN) but all in vain.
“My youngest child, Aryton Verlando was born in Hospital Likas on 28 October 2010. I applied for his birth certificate on time. However, when it was issued under birth certificate number SB595631, JPN identified my son as a Muslim,” she said in a statement issued through Perpaduan Anak Negeri Sabah (PAN Sabah) yesterday.
Julitah said she had explained to JPN that her son had been raised as a Christian and requested that the word Islam be deleted from the birth certificate.
JPN explained that her son should be identified as a Muslim because of the word Islam in her MyKad, she said.
“I explained that I am not a Muslim and produced my baptism certificate. JPN then directed me to get an order of release from Islam from the Sabah Islamic Affairs Department (MUIS) to enable them to delete the word Islam on my MyKad and subsequently do the correction on my son’s birth certificate,” she added.
She claimed JPN then took her son’s original birth certificate and had withheld it up until today. No temporary certificate was issued for her son.
“I have spent a lot of money, time and energy dealing with MUIS and JPN but I have been shoved up the wall and this matter remains unresolved.
“Now that my son is seven years old, I am unable to register my son at any school as he has no birth certificate. I have been pushed around by JPN and am fed up!” said Julitah.
Julitah said that when she requested JPN to reissue her son’s birth certificate early this year, they told her to re-apply.
“This re-application will be considered as a late registration of birth and will cause me to go through another long process.
“I am a native Dusun from Ranau. No native Sabahan should be treated like this! My son wants to go to school. Who can I now turn to?
“I am the mother of my son. I have the right to say what faith I believe in and what religion my son and I should be identified as; not JPN nor any other government authorities!
“I need help to get my son to school. That is the desire of any mother,” she added.