Association hopes for understanding from NRD and Health Department staff

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KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Sino-Bumiputera Association (SSBA) hopes for a better understanding from the National Registration Department (NRD) and hospital staff to reduce confusion among those who were born of mixed parentage in the state.

According to its president, Datuk Johnny Goh, it was imperative that the NRD and hospital staff involved in issuing birth certificates to state clearly the newborn’s nationality in the document.

The NRD and hospital staff play important roles to ensure that a child’s race is determined properly since a mistake could result in them facing problems perenially, he said in his speech at the launching of the SSNA here on Saturday night.

“We propose that hospital staff, both in public and private medical facilities where a sino-bumiputera child is born, state that the baby is a sino-bumiputera in the birth certificate. The NRD must similarly do the same when issuing the birth certificates,” he said.

The association, he added, is ready to provide assistance and cooperation to these two quarters.

Earlier in his speech, Goh who is also Inanam assemblyman, said it could not be denied that since the freezing of the Sijil Anak Negeri in 1982, the Sino-Bumiputera community have faced many problems on several issues such as applying for land, investing in Amanah Saham Bumiputera and applying for scholarship to continue their studies in institutes of higher learning, amongst others.

“In the past few months, we have heard various opinions and suggestions from several quarters especially from professionals and political activists on the issue concerning the state Government’s decision to freeze the issuance of the Sijil Anak Negeri.

“As president of the association and on behalf of the Sino-Bumiputera community, we appreciate all the suggestions and comments and will use them as guidelines as well as reference,” he said.

“We will compile all the information received and bring them up for discussion with the higher authorities such as the Local and Government Ministry through its minister, Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor.

He also expressed the hope that the proposal to review the freeze, will be a reality and “as President, I appeal to the Government to lift the freeze and at the same time implement a more stringent screening process for applicants.”

Goh also said that currently, Sino-Bumiputeras who want to have their Sijil Anak Negeri verified at the Sabah Native Affairs Council (Majlis Hal Ehwal Anak Negeri Sabah) are required to wait for several months.

While agreeing to the procedures involved, in reality, it is burdensome to the holders of the document, he pointed out.

According to him, it is the responsibility of the association to give its total cooperation to the relevant government departments and agencies on the matter so as to ensure that only genuine Sino-Bumiputeras would be issued with the certificate.

“I also applaud the RM60 million allocation for the upgrading of the Sabah Native Court institution making it on par with the civil and syariah courts. This means that the government is very sincere in looking after the welfare of Bumiputeras and the Sino-Bumiputeras in the state,” he said.