KUCHING: The government is urged to look into the plight of stateless individuals and their children who are mostly squatters living in the Pujut area in Miri.
The secretary of PRS Senadin Division, Egi King, said a dialogue with those individuals without proper documents was held at the party’s service centre in Miri recently.
“Their children as young as five years old are often seen loitering around in the area and scavenging rubbish dumb sites when they are supposed to be in school. Many are even seen barefooted,” Egi told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
He said some of the children had even told the (dialogue) organisers that their parents were working while they were left at home to fend for themselves as they were not sent to school due to their predicaments.
“There are also those who are supposed to be taken care-off by their neighbours when their parents are working but somehow those children managed to find their way out to be free.
“This is a disheartening situation and nothing seems to be done for these innocent little children.
Egi said that without any proper documents the children were denied their basic rights such as education and healthcare.
“We have even heard of heart-rending stories of exploitation, harassment and abuse. A single mother of three young daughters who claimed having a Sabahan father and an Indonesian mother sobbed when she related her predicament of having to raise her children without proper documents.
“She has been living in constant fear of the authorities while thinking about her daughters at home while she is working,” Egi added.
Commenting on the dialogue, Dr Richard Wil Uban who is also a political secretary to the chief minister and chairman of PRS Senadin division said his party was committed to assist the less unfortunate individuals regardless of their race, religion or even where they came from.
“They are human beings and they deserve to be treated as such. The authorities concerned should have the political will to solve this problem and not sweeping it under the carpet.
“They need to be given documents even if these documents state they are non-citizen. They need to have a place call home and a chance at life,” said Wil adding that more than 100 of them attended the dialogue session.