KUALA LUMPUR – Issues related to the welfare of children and empowerment of their rights were among the matters raised by lawmakers during the debate on the Human Rights Commission’s (Suhakam) 2022 Annual Report in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman (Sik-PN) said the detention of refugee children and families should be ended by implementing initiatives such as the Alternative to Detention (ATD) pilot programme that the government had previously introduced.
He said the Women, Family, and Community Development Ministry as well as the Home Ministry should immediately implement the ATD programme and review its scope and criteria to incorporate other resolutions in addition to repatriation.
ATD provides temporary shelter for unaccompanied and separated children under detention.
He said the detention of children at immigration detention depots should discontinue because it is detrimental to the mental and physical health of the children.
“In addition, it also affects our economy where immigration detention is 90% more expensive than alternative care programmes that provide protection and care to the refugee children and community in Malaysia,” he said.
On the prolonged issue of children’s citizenship, Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau (Tuaran-PH) said marriages among Sabah and Sarawak’s indigenous people according to their customary laws caused their children to be unregistered.
“Those without a birth certificate continue to be denied citizenship” despite DNA tests allowing confirmation of biological relationships, he said.
“Children to mothers who are citizens are denied their rights to get citizenship because the law favours the father not the mother,” the Upko man added, suggesting the home minister use his prerogative to amend the rules to facilitate the process.
Abd Ghani Ahmad (Jerlun-PN) said the recommendations submitted by Suhakam in empowering the National Council for Children should be given attention by increasing the number of children as its members to facilitate the channelling of issues related to children to the authorities.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow. – Bernama, June 12, 2023
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