PETALING JAYA: Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) is urging the government to address the bureaucratic hurdles faced by stateless individuals in their quest to obtain citizenship.
N. Surendran, an adviser to LFL, highlighted the challenges faced by stateless individuals due to the actions of National Registration Department (NRD) officers who often create obstacles in the application process.
According to Surendran, many applicants are given the wrong forms or are outright denied access to the necessary documents, delaying their citizenship applications.
He also mentioned that some officers impose additional requirements that are not mandated by the Federal Constitution, such as the presence of parents and the submission of marriage certificates.
These unnecessary demands further complicate the already complex process of obtaining citizenship for stateless individuals.
LFL advisor Latheefa Koya shared stories of applicants who were asked to confirm their statelessness with foreign embassies only to have their applications rejected without valid reasons after years of waiting.
Despite the proposed amendments to citizenship laws, concerns remain about granting officers discretionary powers over citizenship applications, potentially denying individuals their rightful citizenship.
Former Malaysian Bar president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan expressed concerns that the proposed amendments could undermine the rights of foundlings to citizenship as established by a Federal Court decision.
During a press conference, LFL highlighted the struggles of four women who face administrative obstacles in obtaining citizenship despite being born and raised in Malaysia to Malaysian or PR fathers.
One of the women, Khairunnisa Ibrahim, was born to a father with PR status, yet her citizenship application was repeatedly rejected due to the NRD’s refusal to recognize her parents’ Indonesian marriage certificate.
Similarly, Wiwin Handayani, also born to a father with PR status, faced the same issue, preventing her from accessing education and employment opportunities like her siblings.
Another woman, Seri Mulyati, who was born to parents with PR status, remains stateless despite her parents’ efforts to obtain citizenship for her through legal channels.
Vanessa, born to a Malaysian father and Indonesian mother, has also been denied citizenship due to the lack of a registered marriage between her parents, despite being entitled to citizenship under the Federal Constitution.
These cases highlight the systemic challenges faced by stateless individuals in Malaysia in securing their right to citizenship and the urgent need for reforms to simplify the application process and ensure equal treatment for all applicants.
