Initiative to tighten NRD security lauded
An opposition leader has welcomed the announcement by Home Affairs Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on a new government initiative to tackle national security issues related to the rampant issuance of citizenship documents to foreigners.
Datuk Henrynus Amin, who is president of Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (Anak Negeri), applauded the Home Affairs Ministry’s plan to streamline and improve the National Registration Department’s (NRD) delivery system, especially the tightening of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in the processing and issuance of MyKad and birth certificates.
He said the proposal by the NRD to establish a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) data bank where biological data will be included in birth certificates is a new milestone in the fight against the illegal issuance of citizenship document to foreigners.
Anak Negeri, Henrynus said, views positively and wishes to thank the Home Minister for responding to public concern, especially statements by the party highlighting the possible tampering of the national data system by corrupt officials.
He is of the opinion Sabahans will no doubt support the minister’s decision to immediately stop all late registration of birth at all state NRD offices and to make it compulsory for late birth application to be done only at the department’s headquarters.
“We also call upon the NRD to stop accepting citizenship application solely based on statutory declaration. Any application based on such dubious documents should be thoroughly verified based on high standard of approval before it can be accepted and processed for approval,” he said.
For that matter, the Home Minister should stop NRD officials from carrying out on-site mobile registration exercise purportedly to replace IC or birth certificates destroyed during fire in squatter areas, Henrynus stressed.
“We feel it was highly suspicious for NRD officials to go on site helping fire victims to replace MyKad or birth certificates without Court Mobile Units to assist in verifying claims of citizenship.
Anak Negeri rejects the lame excuse used by NRD officials in Sabah that the mobile units were helping fire victims who have no money or too poor to come to NRD office to get their MyKad replaced, he pointed out.
MyKad and birth certificates are very important citizenship documents that should not be issued without court verification and authentication, said Henrynus, adding that it was highly improbable for local fire victims who are genuine citizens not to have friends or relatives to help bring them to NRD office to renew lost MyKad and other citizenship documents.
The ministry’s directive to increase the frequency of spot checks at all NRD divisions, including its vendors is timely as it will ensure compliance with the department’s SOP to detect weaknesses, vulnerable points and potential loopholes to be exploited by illegal MyKad syndicates, he added.
“We view the proposed two-year rotation of NRD officers at state and district levels as a correct move to minimise or prevent potential abuse of power,” he said.