KUALA LUMPUR: Undocumented children in Sabah who are awaiting their citizenship process should be allowed to sit for government examinations, and their results should be recognised for entry into public universities.
Kota Belud member of parliament, Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis, said the citizenship issue among the stateless in Sabah is unique, as many of those affected are children of parents who did not register their marriages, which has caused them to become stateless, even though they were born in Malaysia.
She said that while the stateless children are known by everyone in the village, including the village chief, they remain undocumented.
During the Dewan Rakyat Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 debate session, Isnaraissah called for the government's assurance that all previous citizenship issues be resolved before the Act is enforced.
"Through this amendment, I seek the government's assurance that all these issues will be resolved before this Act is enforced. The old cases need to be settled, as they have been waiting for a long time.
"I also propose that undocumented children be allowed to sit for government examinations while awaiting their citizenship status. In cases I have encountered, such as where the father ran away, the mother is Indonesian, or the mother is absent, the children become stateless due to the lack of a marriage certificate.
"I hope the government not only allows these children to sit for examinations but also recognises their results, making them eligible to enter local public universities," she added.
MPs are currently debating the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 on citizenship.
Isnaraissah also inquired how the government would ensure that the operations of the Sabah Special Committee on Citizenship Status (JKKSK) and the Special Task Force addressing the issue of undocumented residents would not be affected by the enforcement of the amendments.
"How much involvement and authority will be granted to the task force by the Home Ministry? Is it the same as the task force in Sarawak?" she asked.
She also questioned whether the Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin, had approved the amendment, as Article 161E(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution requires the concurrence of the states of Sabah and Sarawak for amendments to citizenship clauses.
Isnaraissah further questioned why the citizenship amendments were not debated in the Sabah State Assembly to gather input from different localities on their respective issues.
"We should empower our state assemblymen to express their opinions and provide an opportunity for them to present their views, so that there is a voice. Even the Auditor-General's Report is debated in Parliament, whether it is good or bad. Any report or amendment must be debated," she said.