Protesters rally in Putrajaya against statelessness

Some 300 people have gathered in Putrajaya to march to the National Registration Department (NRD) headquarters to drive home the issue of statelessness resulting from the absence of personal identification documents.

The protesters, who have been arriving since 10am, began marching an hour later to the NRD from the area adjacent to the Palace of Justice.

The rally was organised by PKR.

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has pledged to rectifythe problems leading to statelessness if Pakatan Rakyat forms the federal government.

Many protesters held up a mock red MyKad bearing the images of the pime minister and home minister respectively, to illustrate their claim that the government has failed them in their bid to obtain citizenship.

The protesters chanted slogans such as "Fight for rights" and "Fight for IC rights".

PKR vice-president N Surendran (left), Kapar MP S Manikavasagam and Subang MP R Sivarasa delivered speeches before the rally began.

'Give late application forms, not citizenship forms' 

At the NRD office, a few PKR leaders were seen entering the building but some protesters were unhappy that more had not been allowed in.

A minor argument broke out between the protesters and police personnel, who had a strong presence in the vicinity of the building.

The dissatisfied protesters shouted "Buka pintu!" (Open the door), as Pakatan leaders tried to calm them and the police closed the door to the building.

At 12.45pm, the leaders, comprising Surendran, Sivarasa and M Manogaran, walked out of the NRD building after nearly two hours of negotiation with NRD director-general Jariah Mohd Said.

Surendran announced that NRD agreed to set up the counters to process the applications of those stateless, but stressed that the NRD should give them late application forms instead of citizenship forms.

"All of us here are born in Malaysia, we are Malaysian citizen, by right we should get the IC application form" he said while addressing the crowd, which has since swelled to some 500-strong.

Chua: MIC leaders pushed my shoulder

Meanwhile, PKR vice-president Chua Jui Ming claimed that he was pushed by several MIC youths and leaders following the negotiation.

"Why MIC tried to stop us? They are the traitors of the Indians".

He said MIC leaders pushed on his shoulder but he did not suffered any injury.

His claim was backed up by Surendran, who further told reporters that he had recognised some of Chua’s assailants as MIC youth leaders and they were wearing t-shirts bearing the 1Malaysia logo.

[More to follow]

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