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Father concerned over son's citizenship uncertainty

GEORGE TOWN: A contract worker is worried about his 12-year-old son's future as his citizenship status remains uncertain.

This is because Sim Kok Wah, 50, and his Thai wife, Buaphad Hong, 46, only managed to register their marriage a year after their son, Sim Kheng Chye, was born.

Kheng Chye was born at the Lam Wah Ee Hospital on March 28, 2012. His Malaysian birth certificate indicates he is a non-citizen.

Sim said, in June 2011, he had gone to the National Registration Department (NRD) to register his marriage to Hong.

Unfortunately, they could not do so as they were told that his wife was declared bankrupt by the Insolvency Department. She was a guarantor for her ex-husband, who took out a car loan.

"The National Registration Department needed confirmation from the Thai government that Hong was single.

"However, Hong was told by the Insolvency Department that she could not leave the country as she was a bankrupt. The following year, my son was born," he told newsmen here today (Oct 15).

According to the NRD, if a spouse is a Malaysian and the other is not, the child will not be deemed a citizen.

Sim said it was only after Kheng Chye was born that Hong was allowed to leave the country to get the necessary documents from the Thai government to register her marriage to Sim. The couple ultimately registered their marriage in Putrajaya in 2013.

"After that, we tried to apply for citizenship for our son but we were rejected numerous times with no specific reasons given by the Home Ministry.

"Every year-end, I am afraid that my son may not be able to register for the new school term as he is not a citizen.

"When my son was in Year Three, we received a call from an officer from the state Education Department, who said that I needed to produce my son's Thai passport if he wished to continue studying here. So, we had no choice but to get a Thai passport for him to study here.

"I am worried about his future. What if anything happens to me? What will happen to my son? We just need some peace of mind.

"I can't send my son to Thailand as we do not have anyone there and he hasn't been there before. How is he supposed to start a life there? he asked, adding that his son was here on a student pass which needed to be renewed annually.

Sim said he was not hard-pressed for citizenship status for his son but a permanent resident status for his wife and son would suffice.

Meanwhile, Penang Gerakan Public Complaints Bureau chief Andrew Ooi said he would raise Sim's plight with the NRD to settle his problem.

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