SIBU: A boy, only known as Ramsay, has reached the age to vote but cannot exercise his right as a citizen as he does not possess the MyKad.
He said he had reached the age to become an eligible voter on Jan 7 this year.
“But, I’m much frustrated. I cannot vote yet because I don’t have a MyKad,” he lamented.
Apart from that, Ramsay, who hails from Batu 8 1/2 Durin Link Road in Sungai Sengan here, finds it tough to make a decent living without the identification document.
“I am working as a security guard with meager salary, barely enough to support my mother,” he said.
He came to See Hua Group office here yesterday with his mother Limoi Brendam to highlight his plight.
Ramsay said he had always envied his friends, particularly those working outside Sibu.
“They are doing so well. I could not go because I am ‘IC-less’,” he said.
Despite the difficulties arose for not having the required MyKad, he completed Form Five and sat for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) using only his birth certificate.
Meanwhile, Limoi related that there was a family problem which was unavoidable when she gave birth to Ramsay. That had caused the late registration of his birth. In 1998, Limoi applied for her son’s birth certificate but was rejected by the National Registration Department (NRD).
She tried again in 2007 with the help of Dudong assemblyman Datuk Dr Soon Choon Teck and managed to get it done.
“But details on the document was incomplete and that’s why I had problems with the application for MyKad,” Ramsay said.
They were told that the problem was with Limoi’s stateless status.
According to Limoi, she did apply for a birth certificate before.
But then on July 13 this year, Limoi re-submitted her application for a birth certificate so that her son could have his MyKad.
“Until now the problem is unresolved,” she said.
The mother and son have high hope that the NRD would look into their plight urgently.