YOURSAY | Don't punish the children, give them rightful citizenship

YOURSAY | ‘Are we proud of this country’s record on this issue?’

Sisters seek minister's help as citizenship bid rejected thrice

Robbie98: It is disheartening and depressing in this age and time to hear stories like this (where four sisters’ citizenship applications were rejected without an explanation).

The father is Malaysian, the children were born in Malaysia, and they have valid birth certificates.

My heart goes out to this family. I hope the relevant authorities can look at their applications again.

Where are the political warlords who can speak with fire from their bellies on trivial issues? Can they please take up this family’s cause?

Where is the humanity, equality, and fairness enshrined in the Constitution?

Hmmm: Can anybody please explain the relationship between marriage status and citizenship?

Why must there be a proper marriage before a child can get citizenship? Isn't citizenship automatic as long as it can be proven that one of the parents is a Malaysian?

In this case, why does the citizenship of the mother matter? If a woman is impregnated by a heartless man who then leaves her, will her children be stateless?

Aren't you punishing the victim and her helpless child? I think there is something seriously wrong with our law on citizenship.

Mario T: If you do not register your marriage, chances are your children could face problems with citizenship.

We may think it is discrimination, but when criteria are not met, then the poor child faces this dilemma.

However, in this case, one child is granted citizenship and the others are not. So what is the reason one child is granted citizenship while it is rejected for the rest?

Seems strange why this is happening. Perhaps the National Registration Department (NRD) can shed some light.

Omar Iz: I wonder what went through the minds of the officers each time they rejected the application.

Do they believe that by rejecting the applications, the applicants would magically disappear into thin air? Of course, we do not want the system to be abused.

But, I cannot help but wonder why the officers desire to keep these women (and girls) outside the system. What do they, or our country, gain?

Does NRD have a policy to keep a certain number of Malaysian-born persons outside the system, and deny them public health, public schooling and so on?

Koel: Perak is again in the news for the worst possible reasons.

This is the plight of many poor minorities that our political champions ignore. These are victims of statelessness and the failure of our systems here.

Were they able to get an education? How do they access healthcare?

When our Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim viciously put down a young girl of Indian descent for asking about opportunities in education, he needed to know that this is also the reality for many such girls in this country today.

Are we proud of this country’s record on this issue?

Falcon: Such tragic stories raise so many questions in a country where its political leaders are so eager to advise others.

While a little Napoleon and pencil pushers cause such injustice to minorities born, bred and living in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, foreigners marrying into powerful families and others kicking a football are fast-tracked into becoming citizens.

Don't these people ever have a conscience? What a tragedy! Perhaps a case to be compiled for the International Court of Justice?

Kids whose plight prompted changes won't get automatic citizenship

Justice Now!: I am very curious why the government is so scared of making this bill retroactive. How many citizens will be added to the Malaysian population?

If there are 50,000 new citizens, that is just 0.15 percent! Many are natives of Sabah and Sarawak living in very remote places.

The addition will be positive for the economy and the much-needed worker shortage.

The thing is, the number is limited and fixed! It is not like a stream of people will appear out of thin air.

They should be citizens of Malaysia because we had a very small population at Independence. What kind of phobia, fear, security concern, or even political fear, is bugging Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail or the little napoleons of NRD?

Even if 50,000 (I doubt that there are so many) were all non-Malay, it would not change the demographics of Malaysia!

Apanama is back: What will be the issues if the amendment is applied retrospectively to the children who were the main factor behind this amendment and at the same time will benefit from this amendment?

MPs from PKR, DAP and Amanah should drill some sense into Saifuddin’s head.

If all the Pakatan Harapan MPs toe the line as reported elsewhere, I believe we need to kick out Pakatan Harapan in any by-election, state election and, finally, the 16th general election.

GreenRabbit7192: Those children born to Malaysian mothers overseas should be automatically made Malaysian citizens with a retrospective effect upon the passing of the Act.

All that needs to be done is for the Malaysian mothers to submit the applications and for the authorities to just process and approve the applications.

GrayParrot9290: All MPs should vote based on their conscience and what the rakyat really wants - fairness, justice and humility.

The home minister lost his case when his response to constructive criticism was “noise” and we should bargain like pasar malam.

No compromise on what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. We hope all MPs do the right thing.

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