The plight of four stateless sisters in Perak has caught the attention of Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail after being highlighted by Malaysiakini recently.
"The ministry will try to help," Saifuddin replied briefly when asked to comment on the issue faced by 26-year-old twins N Thachaayaney and Thanasriy, Vetyasri (24), and Sugashini (22).
Yesterday, the four women sought Saifuddin's intervention after the National Registration Department (NRD) rejected their citizenship application three times.
According to NGO Development of Human Resources for Rural Areas (DHRRA) president M Saravanan, the NRD rejected the sisters' applications under Article 15a of the Federal Constitution (Special Circumstances) three times, purportedly without a valid reason.
He also alleged the department was unwilling to entertain their bid to apply under Article 19 for citizenship by naturalisation.
The sisters' father Naduncelean Krishnan is a Malaysian who married a Singaporean woman in 1997. He is unable to track down his wife's whereabouts after she left following the last child's birth.
Hence, Naduncelean has no way to prove his children's nationality.
Following the media report, the NRD clarified that the sisters' applications were rejected as they were classified as illegitimate children because their parents' marriage was not officially registered.
'Get your marriage registered'
On that note, Saifuddin stressed the importance of couples getting their marriage registered.
"The lesson here is to register your marriage. If not, you will end up inconveniencing your life and your children's future.
"When someone is facing issues securing citizenship, they ask the government to facilitate the process. Whereas the fault lies with themselves for not registering their marriage.
"My advice is not only directed toward the applicants in this case alone. I have come across (and helped) many cases where marriages were not registered," the minister added.
Saifuddin also chided activists and NGOs championing the issue of statelessness for not educating the individuals they deal with on the importance of registering marriages.
"I have never heard of activists reprimanding those who pull such stunts (not registering marriage). And then, they slam the government's 'tyranny'.
"What matters is the children's future. I, as the home minister, will always help such cases (statelessness), and will not entertain any 'attacks' against me or my ministry." - Mkini
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