MIRI – The Dayak National Congress has issued a resolution calling on the Sarawak government to enforce autonomous control in issuing birth certificates and identity cards for Sarawakians.
Congress president Paul Raja said its members had passed the resolution in its triennial general meeting last night.
Raja, a lawyer by profession, told The Vibes today that the congress found that Sarawak has the legal authority to issue birth certificates and identity cards.
“The state government can exercise its autonomy in these aspects under its Registration of Births and Deaths Ordinance 1958.
“As such, the Sarawak government should take back these powers from the federal government now and set up an autonomous Sarawak Registration Department that will be under the control of the state government, not the federal government.
“This is in line with our rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he said.
Raja said the congress felt that the state government must solve the unending problems of citizenship woes facing hundreds of thousands of Sarawakians.
On February 15, a lawmaker had expressed similar sentiments, calling for the Sarawak government to acquire the authority to grant citizenship status.
Dudong assemblyman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing had said this must be done to enable the state to resolve the decades of woes afflicting many stateless Sarawakians.
Speaking during the state assembly sittings last week, Tiong said issues involving stateless folks in Sarawak need to be resolved.
“In line with the recent amendment to the status of Sarawak in the federal constitution, Sarawak should have the power to decide on citizenship status for those who are still stateless and should also have autonomy to decide on education in the state.
“Other important matters like health and security should be under the state too,” he had said. – The Vibes, February 21, 2022
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