LFL slams HaLFL slams Hamzah’s reasons for prolonging woman’s stateless status

 

Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has disputed Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin’s reasons for not resolving the stateless status of Rohana Abdullah.

The legal aid NGO has urged him to exercise his ministerial powers and immediately register her as a citizen as per her constitutional right.

This comes after Hamzah reportedly said a “thorough investigation” and certain “supporting documents” were needed before the ministry could issue the 22-year-old identification papers.

In a statement today, LFL head coordinator Zaid Malek criticised the minister for giving legally “irrelevant” reasons for the delay.

“It is undisputed that Rohana was born in this country, has lived here all her life and has never even been to another country in her entire life.

“It is thus absurd for Hamzah to raise the issue of her father’s status, which becomes irrelevant under the Federal Constitution because she is a foundling and is currently stateless,” he said.

Zaid pointed to the Second Schedule of the Constitution which states that a person is a citizen by law if they are born inside Malaysia and one parent was a citizen at the time of their birth.

“It is a constitutional right and not a discretion to be exercised at the whims of the Home Ministry,” he stressed.

“There is no need to prolong Rohana’s plight any longer. Doing so would mean that the government is actively going against the clear letter of the constitution and the decision of the Federal Court on this matter,” he added.

Don’t prolong ordeal

Zaid thus urged Hamzah to grant Rohana citizenship immediately.

“The home minister can resolve Rohana’s case with the stroke of a pen.

“There is no need for this empty bombast of an investigation, which seems geared to cover the ministry’s own failures which caused Rohana’s statelessness,” he opined.

Hamzah previously said he was “touched” by media reports about Rohana’s plight and assured that his officers would “investigate” the case.

Rohana applied for citizenship six years ago in 2016 but the ministry has yet to reply.

Her plight caught the public’s attention when Harian Metro reported on her interfaith adoption story.

Born to a Malaysian father and Indonesian mother, the former disappeared soon after Rohana’s birth. This led her mother to leave two-month-old Rohana at the kindergarten where she worked as a cleaner.

Rohana was then adopted and raised by Chee Hoi Lan, a teacher at the kindergarten.

According to the news report, 83-year-old Chee did her best to provide for all of Rohana’s needs including eating halal food, learning the basics of Islam and sending her for religious lessons. - Mkini