Fatimah speaks at the conference. Also seen is Harden. — Photos by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: The Special Taskforce to tackle the issue of statelessness in Sarawak under the National Registration Department (JPN) has conducted 196 operations, with 7,588 applications for birth certificate received since 2015.
Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said 4,805 out of the total applications had been approved, as of last Aug 31.
“Of the total, 2,468 applications have been rejected and the remaining 315 applications are still being processed,” she said at a press conference after chairing a meeting with the Citizenship Status Special Committee at Bangunan Baitul Makmur in Petra Jaya here yesterday.
Fatimah added that the taskforce’s operations had so far covered 27 parliamentary and 68 state constituencies across Sarawak.
A chart on the achievements of the JPN Special Taskforce.
She reminded heads of villages (KK) and tuai rumah of their obligation to play a role in facilitating parents in remote areas.
She said a statutory declaration by the KK and tuai rumah is part of the documentation requirements for the application.
“We request that KK or tuah rumah inform JPN of the birth as this is part of their obligation. And this should be done within 42 days from the birth date.”
According to Fatimah, the Sarawak Education Department is now liaising with JPN to help address the problem of statelessness.
She said the Education Department will inform JPN of the number of children without citizenship as well as providing their names.
Since last February, the Education Department had referred a total of 232 names to JPN for further action, she added.
With her at the conference was Assistant Minister of Community Wellbeing Datuk Francis Harden Hollis.