Stateless problem among Sarawak folk bigger than expected

THE problem of statelessness among Sarawak folk is much bigger than expected, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting said.

Ting, who is Piasau assemblyman and deputy state tourism culture and talent development minister, said he was taken aback by the hundreds of stateless people queuing up daily over the last 10 days at the National Registration Department mobile unit in Miri to apply for birth certificates and MyKads.

“I went to check out the situation at the civic centre and I was really taken aback by the huge crowd trying to sort out their relevant documentation.

“These stateless folks patiently wait for hours every day, many sleeping on the floor… children, babies and even the aged.

“I spoke to an employee from the NRD manning the mobile registration counter and they too were shocked with the overwhelming turnout. They said they cannot attend to so many at a time.

“I have to be honest: we (state authorities) did not imagine the situation (of stateless Sarawak folk) to be so big.

“The hundreds that turned up at the Miri Civic Centre were from Miri and surrounding districts. And this could just be the tip of the iceberg.

“I heard from those in the crowd that there are many more without birth certificates and MyKads from the deep interiors in northern Sarawak who could not come in time,” he said.

Ting said he is getting in touch with those concerned in the state government and counterparts in Putrajaya to see how to expand the outreach to help more stateless folks.

“It is very obvious we must go and seek them out. We cannot wait for them to come to us by the hundreds, especially since we cannot handle such big numbers at a time,” he said.

The special joint committee formed by the state government and federal government to help register stateless folks in Sarawak was at the Miri Civic Centre from November 20 to 30.

Hundreds of rural stateless folks came each day, travelling to the city even from as far as the remote Baram settlements in interior Miri.

However, many were left disappointed as the counter staff could only attend to a handful of these stateless folks daily.

Baram social activist Willie Kajan yesterday also called on the state and federal governments to extend the mobile counter services since there were hundreds of stateless men, women, children and elderly left unattended. – The Vibes, December 1, 2023