Death threats for activist in stateless orphans expose

Activist Muhammad Khairul Hafiz Abdullah who had alleged that over a thousand people who grew up in welfare homes were stateless due to the negligence of the Social Welfare Department (JKM) claimed that he has received death threats.

The Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Sosial Malaysia (Perbak) president said the threats were made through mobile phone calls by someone who introduced himself as "Angkatan JKM" (JKM force).

"He contacted me thrice in the last two to three days but his phone number was not listed, he was using a private number.

"He said if I don't stop exposing this, he will act against me, he said he knew where I worked and which school my children go to," he said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

On June 1, Muhammad Khairul (left) hadclaimed that 1,758 individuals who had left JKM welfare homes, most of whom were orphans that could not prove their citizenship when they were young, were stateless as the department had failed to sort out their documents.

Following this, Muhammad Khairul said he had lodged a police report at Putrajaya police station on Saturday.

"My wife was also threatened. I told them if they dared, they should come face me, I'm not afraid, I have evidence," he said.