(From left) Manikavasagam is seen with Jalong and another red IC-holder at UTC Miri. At right is Elia.
MIRI: A former parliamentarian is calling out to the government, specifically to the National Registration Department (JPN), to give serious attention to the issue concerning Sarawakians who are still without Mykad.
According to S Manikavasagam, these individuals have their birth certificates but are being denied the Malaysian citizenship by way of them not having the identification cards (ICs).
He said it was the same problem that he heard when he came to Sarawak in 2016.
“I don’t know what the problem is with JPN. The birth certificates already show that they are born here (in Sarawak) – that should be very clear,” said the former Kapar MP, when met at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) Miri yesterday.
Adding further, Manikavasagam said the main excuse that the JPN told these MyKad-less applicants was that they had to wait for decision from Putrajaya.
“They (applicants) have to wait between six months and a year; in some worst cases, there are those who have been waiting for a much longer time than anyone could imagine.
“Upon enquiry, they are told by JPN that they have to wait for (the decision from) Putrajaya.
“To be honest, I don’t understand this nonsense because they already have their birth certificates. So, it should be easy to identify them as (Malaysian) citizens too,” he said.
Manikavasagam, who is the chairman of Persatuan Kebajikan Urimai Selangor, also expressed his disappointment over JPN Miri’s ‘illogical’ action of asking these applicants – the majority of whom are already struggling financially – to keep going to Kuching for application matters.
“If JPN Miri is unable to help these people obtain their ICs, I suggest that they just close down (the office). Since everyone has to go all the way to Kuching, JPN Miri is no longer needed,” he said, stressing that both present federal and Sarawak governments must play their role well in reaching out to these people and help them in any way possible.
Meanwhile one of the MyKad applicants, Jalong Enjok, complained that despite having waited for three decades, his application is still pending.
“I have an identification (document) issued by British government when Sarawak was still under the British.
“After the formation of Malaysia, there have been several policy changes, which are very confusing.
“I have been experiencing endless rejections – I keep re-filling these application forms,” said the 78-year-old.
Still, Jalong said he would not give up.
“I am now a red IC holder. I do wonder how long I need to wait to obtain a proper IC,” he lamented.
It is informed that Jalong’s case would directly be brought up to the attention of Minister of Home Affairs Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
In this regard, Manikavasagam said this would be done through Persatuan Kebajikan Urimai Selangor and also with the help from Penan Empowerment Network chairwoman Elia Bit.