Education access for stateless kids
Premier Office to issue temporary documentation to give stateless children access to education, health facilities
KUCHING: The Office of the Premier of Sarawak will be issuing temporary documentation to eligible stateless children applying for citizenship under Section 15A of the federal constitution to support them in having access to education and health facilities.
This is according to State Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah who said the state cabinet had decided to provide whatever form of assistance within its power to such stateless children in the state.
“It is to be stressed, however, that this exercise and the issuance of the temporary documentation is only meant for the specific purpose of facilitating or assisting the stateless person in applying for access to the education and health facilities in the state.”
“And (it) is neither a representation nor a promise in any way whatsoever as a means of obtaining Malaysian citizenship which the state government appreciates is a power vested in the federal government,” she added.
Fatimah made these remarks at a press conference after officiating at the Kuching Autistic Association’s autism awareness programme and book launch cum fund raising event at the state library, Petra Jaya yesterday.
It is to be stressed, however, that this exercise and the issuance of the temporary documentation is only meant for the specific purpose of facilitating or assisting the stateless person in applying for access to the education and health facilities in the state.
— Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, State Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development
Fatimah noted that having access to basic health and education facilities was a fundamental human right and nobody should be deprived of these rights.
She revealed that a committee will be in charge of the application of stateless children in the state for the temporary documentation.
The minister said the prevailing situation is that children deemed as stateless or their citizenship status unknown faced great challenges in obtaining both education and health services, including the need to apply for student pass and entry permit from the Immigration Department before they can attend school.
“Even if they are allowed to attend schools, they are required to pay RM120 annually to attend primary school and RM240 annually for secondary school, a fee charged for foreign students.
“Students who are Malaysian citizens do not need to pay the fee,” she explained.
Based on past experience, Fatimah noted, many of the stateless children came from poor family and the annual fee incurred to attend schools was considered a huge burden.
“We are indeed very concerned that if a child is denied access to education due to his or her citizenship status, the vicious cycle of poverty will continue and the chances of the family to improve their socioeconomy background is slim.”
Fatimah hoped there would be mutual understanding between Home Ministry and Education Ministry, and the state agencies, to ensure children in the state were not denied opportunities to be educated.
On the healthcare services, the state minister said stateless children, or those whose citizenship status had not been determined yet, will be required to fork out payment for seeking treatment at local governmental hospitals or clinics.
Fatimah added that the existing process to apply for citizenship for stateless children under Section 15A of the federal constitution could be a long and arduous journey as application need to be made to the National Registration Department and to be deliberated by the Home Ministry and a state special committee for stateless children’s citizenship application, before the final approval can be granted by the Home Minister.
She cited one of the main reasons for children being stateless was that the parents’ marriage was not properly registered, particularly when the mother was a foreigner.
Nonetheless, she appealed to the Home Ministry to shorten their processing period in allowing stateless children in the state to obtain Malaysian citizenship for the sake of the children’s future.