Stateless people remain ghosts in their own land, says Anak

ADVOCATES for Non-Discrimination and Access to Knowledge (Anak) today called on the government to implement a transparent and well-defined SOP for citizenship applications, ensuring laws and safeguards are strictly followed to prevent bureaucratic roadblocks.

Its founding director, Mary Anne K. Baltazar, said there are still many among us who remain invisible, not knowing where they belong. 

“Without official documents, stateless people are ghosts in their own land, unable to travel freely to join loved ones or access basic services.

“Anak understands too well the reality faced by stateless individuals and foundlings. 

“Anak believes that no one deserves to have the course of their lives altered due to bureaucratic inefficiency and sheer neglect,” she said in a statement.

Baltazar said urgent reforms and systemic change are needed to introduce a clear path to citizenship for stateless people in Malaysia. 

“The government also needs to provide comprehensive training to officers handling citizenship issues to ensure they have the knowledge and ethical standards necessary to support stateless individuals.

“We also need to enhance transparency by providing clear statistics, data, and reasons for citizenship application rejections, promoting accountability and fairness in decision-making,” she said.

Recently, she said Anak partnered with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Family Frontiers to screen the award-winning Malaysian film “Abang Adik” in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

“The movie offers a glimpse into the bureaucratic hurdles stateless individuals have to overcome to obtain Malaysian citizenship. 

“For example, former stateless person, Alanis Mah, was only able to secure her MyKad at age 23 after years of struggling for a legal identity,” she said.

She said there was also a need for greater collaboration with civil society organisations, human rights advocates, and affected communities to develop inclusive policies that address the root causes of statelessness.

“It is time to transform empathy into action and stand in solidarity with stateless individuals to ensure that they are no longer invisible or marginalised within our society. 

“Together, we can create a more inclusive and just Malaysia for everyone,” she added. – The Vibes, April 22, 2024