Natives say citizenship amendments will worsen their plight

 

The proposed amendments to citizenship laws will further worsen the predicament faced by the Orang Asli as well as Sabah and Sarawak natives (Orang Asal).

Indigenous artist Shaq Koyok said it would especially impact those married to foreign spouses.

“I think the new amendments will make things worse for the community which does not have proper documentation.

“There is quite a number of Orang Asli married to migrant workers… and they have problems in getting their children registered to be Malaysians,” he said.

Shaq (above), a 39-year-old from the Temuan ethnic group, was speaking in a video posted by the Sabah-based NGO Advocates for Non-discrimination and Access to Knowledge (Anak).

Anak shared the video on social media.

He said many Orang Asli in rural areas also do not have birth certificates as their births were not registered with the National Registration Department.

Shaq admitted that he was one such example, and acknowledged the difficulty in acquiring education and accessing healthcare that came with being stateless.

‘Where do we put them?’

Sarawakian activist Agnes Padan also echoed similar remarks.

According to her, the proposed removal of the term “permanently resident” from Section 1(a) Part II of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution would also negatively affect senior citizens who have lived and have families in Sarawak.

Currently, the section states that anyone born in Malaysia to a parent who is a citizen or someone “permanently resident” in Malaysia is automatically granted citizenship.

The government is seeking to remove the words “permanently resident”. This means those born under those circumstances would be subjected to the citizenship registration process.

“If the amendments are passed, what will happen to these people?

“We are not talking about one or two persons. There are a lot of senior citizens who still hold ‘Green ICs’ (MyKas or temporary resident status),” said the activist who is from the Lun Bawang ethnic group.

“They are in their third or fourth generations. Where do we put them? They are not (considered) Malaysians, Indonesians, or Filipinos. So what are they citizens of?” she asked.

Agnes noted that she has handled many cases involving senior citizens in Sarawak who, despite decades of living in the state, are still stateless.

Another Dayak activist shared that one of the main problems faced by natives was the lack of infrastructure in rural areas.

“That is why most births get registered late, or unregistered at all.”

Yesterday, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Orang Asli who are permanent resident (PR) card holders can apply for citizenship if they are not nationals elsewhere.

The minister said if they can show evidence of having resided in the country, the Orang Asli can apply under existing laws. - Mkini