But alas Zahid, charity should start at home

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's concern over stateless Rohingya people should be commended, but he should also show concern over thousands of stateless children born in Malaysia, said a DAP lawmaker.

Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching said she was touched by Zahid's impromptu donation drive yesterday for the Rohingya community affected by war and hoped he would similarly show empathy for stateless people born in Malaysia.

"Hundreds of thousands stateless children living in Malaysia, but Zahid did not feel compelled to do something for them.

"According to a parliamentary written reply from him, between 2012 and January 2017, 15,394 children born in Malaysia were denied citizenship even though their fathers are Malaysian citizens," said Teo (photo).

This figure, she said, would mean that on average, eight people are born stateless in Malaysia every day.

"In November last year, home minister (Zahid) revealed that there are 290,437stateless children in Malaysia who are below the age of 18.

"A number even greater than the entire population of Perlis," said Teo in a statement today.

While these stateless children in Malaysia do not suffer the same level of violence as the Rohingya community, she said the deputy premier must recognise that they suffer a host of other problems.

"They have no access to free education like other Malaysian children, no free medical service in the government hospital, no passport, no driving license, and lack access to a decent job.

"These stateless children are not foreigners, some of them are abandoned at birth, others are adopted but cannot trace their birth parents, and more are born to a foreign mother who did not register their marriage to their Malaysian spouse.

"Why are we punishing them due to the mistakes of their parents?" she asked.

Teo said DAP was willing to work with Zahid to help the Rohingya, but the deputy prime minister must first help stateless children in Malaysia. - Mkini