KUALA LUMPUR: A member of parliament has called on the government to address the critical issues of "in situ" statelessness and the urgent need to combat racism during the parliamentary debate on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) annual reports for 2021 and 2022.
Selayang MP William Leong said the in situ statelessness, referring to individuals who are stateless in their own country despite having significant ties through birth or long-term residence, was often the result of the framing and implementation of nationality laws.
"According to Suhakam, there exist gaps in nationality laws and guardianship, a lack of transparency and inconsistencies of procedures, complexities of statelessness in Peninsulas Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak," the Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Human Rights, Elections, and Institutional Reforms chairman said in a statement.
He said stateless people face difficulties to access education, healthcare, employment, social security benefits, property rights, civil registration of births, deaths, marriages and identity cards and travel documents.
"Statelessness results in these persons suffering from marginalisation, discrimination, insecurity, and vulnerable to harassment and oppression.
"It results in an overall sense of hopelessness and negativity impacting their lives. They are an invisible group without basic rights and non-existent in the eyes of the government and society."
To address the issue, Leong urged the government to ratify several international conventions, including the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Others include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Meanwhile, Leong also called on the government to take more decisive action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance of minorities.
He said these issues have become deeply ingrained in Malaysian society.
"Racism and racial discrimination not only impact those at the receiving end but also threaten the fabric of social unity in our country.
"They affect the ability of individuals to find jobs, access education, healthcare, housing, and fair treatment in justice," he said.
Leong stressed the need for both the government and society to reject hate speech, take firm action against those spreading hatred and distrust, and promote national harmony, unity, reconciliation and integration.