KUALA LUMPUR: For siblings Jesmin and Juliana Devona, their dream of becoming Malaysian citizens continues to elude them.
Born to a Malaysian father and an Indonesian mother, the sisters are stateless.
Their parents never married, and after their father died in 2019, their mother left without a trace.
Since 2013, they have applied for citizenship twice, only to be rejected.
The girls' aunt, Yogeswari Sachithananthan, 53, is hoping their third application will be successful.
"My brother did everything he could to secure his daughters' futures.
"He saved up money to send their mother back to Indonesia to sort out the documents," said Yogeswari.
"But even after all that, the applications were rejected."
She added that her brother was unaware that the girls would not be entitled to citizenship when they were born.
Last year, Yogeswari adopted the girls to strengthen their case for citizenship.
However, even this does not guarantee that they get citizenship.
Yogeswari said she worried about the girls' fate.
"We do not let them go out on their own, and even when we travel, we do not take them unless it is nearby.
"We are afraid of what could happen, because the only identification they have is their birth certificate."
She said despite the challenges, the sisters were fortunate to be allowed to attend school following the government's decision to permit children with one Malaysian parent to receive an education.
However, their statelessness means they receive no financial assistance and face numerous restrictions.
"Jesmin, the elder sister, ranks as the top student in her cohort.
"However, her future remains uncertain as she prepares to sit the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia this year.
"If the adoption process fails and we do not get their citizenship, she won't be able to continue her studies next year, work or even open a bank account."
Yogeswari said she feared for the girls' future if their citizenship application was rejected again.
"It has been a year since we submitted the third application, and they told us to wait two to four years for a decision.
"Can you imagine waiting that long? If we check in again in six months, they will just say it is being processed.
"These girls deserve better. They were born here, raised here and have no other family aside from us.
"They are Malaysian in every way that matters."