Fatimah speaking to journalists at State Legislative Assembly’s building media room yesterday while the ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Saadiah Abdul Samat. Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: Adopted children in Sarawak will have the names of their adoptive parents included in their birth certificate from next year onwards as part of the state government’s move to improve their well-being, the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) was told today.
Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the state Cabinet had decided to include details of adoptive parents and biological parents in the Second Schedule Extract from the Central Register Record of Birth Sarawak of the Adoption (Central Registry) Regulations 1960.
“As a caring government, the Sarawak State Cabinet on July 11 had approved this amendment, which will take effect on January 1, 2020,” she said in her ministerial winding up speech.
She told a press conference later that currently the birth certificate of adopted children in Sarawak only had the names of their biological parents.
“Back then, the names of adoptive parents are not included in the Second Schedule of Extract from the Central Register (Record of Birth) form in Sarawak unlike in Peninsula Malaysia and Sabah,” said Fatimah.
The matter was first brought up by Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang in the DUN sitting last July.
As a result, Fatimah said a roundtable meeting was convened with the relevant stakeholders, which Chang was also invited to attend, to discuss the proposal to include the names of adoptive and biological parents into the forms.
She pointed out that her ministry had also been receiving many similar requests and letters on the matter.
Subsequently, the decisions made in the roundtable meeting was submitted to the state cabinet meeting for consideration and it was approved on July 11.
“Adoption is a sensitive issue for both adopted children and adoptive parents. Because of that, we have to handle it very very carefully,” she said.
On another matter, Fatimah said the period for a birth registration to be classified as late should be increased to more than 60 days after the date of birth, compared with the existing 42 days after birth in Sarawak.
Late birth registration in Peninsula Malaysia refers to registration made more than 60 days after the date of birth while its only 42 days in Sarawak.
“I feel that it is fitting and appropriate for the period to be classified as late birth registration to be lengthen so that it’s the same like what’s happening in Peninsula Malaysia.”
Fatimah said people in Peninsula Malaysia enjoy transportation infrastructure while Sarawak has a huge land mass and people living in the interior might face logistic challenge in registering their new birth at the closest National Registration Department office.