Latest news with #NationalRegistrationDepartment
The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Saving time and money with ombudsman
Need for change: Children and their mothers outside the National Registration Department, Putrajaya, in a Family Frontiers' case in 2022. Family Frontiers also supports an independent and effective ombudsman's institution. PETALING JAYA: When a schoolgirl was sexually abused by another secondary student in Ireland, she was made to feel responsible – the school told her it was a behavioural issue. Worse, she was made to meet the abuser, while other students bullied her when they found out. Enter the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO). It investigated the case, and the school had to apologise to the victim while the school's board updated policies to reflect best practices. The National Education Department also included this form of bullying in its national anti-bullying action plan. We have cases like that in Malaysia, too, and that is why an ombudsman of our own is needed. In one case, an English teacher at a school in Kota Belud, Sabah, went missing for nearly the entire school term, and his student failed the subject in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination. Then, mothers married to foreign spouses were unable to pass Malaysian citizenship to their children due to certain laws in the country. In both cases, the affected citizens had to spend thousands of ringgit and countless hours in court seeking redress for these problems, which arose from problematic policies or practices that protect errant civil servants. There are also people who were turned away from government counters because they were deemed to be inappropriately dressed. A Malaysian Ombudsman Office could have tackled these issues, says an NGO that has been working with the government to set up the institution. The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) sits on the steering committee to develop the Ombudsman Bill. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word ombudsman originates from the Swedish term 'representative' and refers to an independent individual appointed to investigate complaints against a body or institution. The students in Sabah and the Malaysian mothers with foreign spouses would not have had to spend all that time in court if there had been an ombudsman's office, says C4. 'The SMK Taun Gusi case would be a good example, as the complaints were made against teachers and education department officers,' said C4 chief executive officer Pushpan Murugiah. 'The problems faced by Malaysian mothers trying to obtain citizenship for their children born to foreign fathers would also have been an issue for the ombudsman,' he said. Family Frontiers, a group that helped the Malaysian mothers, also supports an independent and effective ombudsman's institution. 'It is a key component of good governance and democratic accountability,' it said. An ombudsman's role, according to Pushpan, is to pinpoint structural flaws and implement improvements to completely prevent complaints in the future. 'In a nutshell, the ombudsman gets down to the root causes of maladministration and works with the civil service to fix them,' he said. For example, in cases where people are denied entry to government offices due to their dressing, the ombudsman would be able to probe whether there were insufficient guidelines or if officers were inadequately trained. 'The ombudsman would make recommendations to improve policies, regulations, rules and standard operating procedures to prevent similar situations from happening again.'
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
PD boy relieved to be finally recognised a Malaysian
PHIREN Singh can now focus on pursuing his tertiary education and his dream of becoming an engineer as he has finally earned the right to be called a Malaysian. The 17-year-old from Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan, who excelled in his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination, received his MyKad after many years of applying. Phiren was raised by his grandmother after his foreign mother returned to her home country when he was a child and his father's death in 2018. He is relieved that his ordeal of being stateless is finally over. 'I am happy beyond words that I have finally received my MyKad, but I wish my dad was here to see this. 'I know the hardship my dad and I endured when I was a stateless person. I can now better plan my future,' he said after collecting his identity card from the National Registration Department (NRD) in Putrajaya. Phiren (right) with Rajasekaran after collecting his MyKad from the NRD in Putrajaya. Phiren, who was not eligible for basic things like free school textbooks and other aid given to Malaysians, said he planned to apply for scholarships or even a loan from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation to pursue his tertiary education. 'My 91-year-old grandmother, who is a retired teacher, has been providing for me ever since and I cannot burden her anymore. 'I want a career in engineering or in the automobile field, and will now be able to do so at local institutions of higher learning,' said Phiren, who has an older stepbrother and a younger sister, both of whom are Malaysians. Phiren said he had encountered countless problems growing up as a stateless person, from access to government healthcare facilities and participating in sports activities at the national level, to opening a bank account. 'I played tennis but was unable to represent Negri Sembilan at the national schools championships or MSSM due to my status. That was really painful,' he said. He thanked Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for looking into cases like his which had dragged on for years. 'My appreciation also goes to Sri Tanjung assemblyman Dr G. Rajasekaran who has been instrumental in helping me in the application process,' Phiren added.
Borneo Post
6 days ago
- General
- Borneo Post
Streamlined MyKad procedure a relief for Sarawakians without K-indicator
Fatimah visits the service counters. – Photo by Mohd Faisal Ahmad KUCHING (May 31): The process of registering for a MyKad with the K-indicator – signifying Sarawakian status – has now been simplified for newly-registered Malaysian citizens born in Sarawak, thanks to new conditions and streamlined procedures implemented by the National Registration Department (JPN). The improved process has already begun to benefit many Sarawakians, especially those who had previously faced hurdles in confirming their status. 'Now, the procedure is so much easier; they only require us to provide our current identification card (IC) and other supporting documents to prove we were born in Sarawak, and they will immediately replace it,' said Jerremy Chua, 41, who came to the Sarawak National Registration Department (JPN) office here to apply for the K-indicator. Jerremy Chua Chua, who was born in Sarawak but has lived in Johor Bahru for over two decades due to work, explained that his MyKad had been reissued in Johor without the K-indicator – something he hadn't noticed at the time. 'I was not aware of the benefits that come with having a Sarawakian status, so I didn't pay any mind to the missing K-indicator on my IC until the immigration officer questioned me about my nationality status. 'It was difficult to return to my hometown as I would only be granted a visitor's pass,' he said. He added that now, with the streamlined process, he can put his concerns to rest. 'I am married to a non-Sarawakian and we have a son born in Johor Bahru. Now that I am officially recognised as a Sarawakian, with the K-indicator on my MyKad, I can also apply for my son to obtain Sarawakian citizenship,' he said. Fatimah speaks to the visitors at JPN. – Photo by Mohd Faisal Ahmad Also at the JPN was Rayani Usman, 38, who expressed her happiness over the new implementation for Sarawakian IC registration. 'I came here to inquire about the procedure to apply for a MyKad with Sarawakian status for my daughter, as my family lives in Peninsular Malaysia. I feel at ease knowing that she is eligible to receive Sarawakian citizenship,' she said. Rayani, an Indonesian citizen, has been married to a Sarawakian for more than 10 years and is currently undergoing the process to apply for permanent residency. 'I am glad knowing that my citizenship won't hinder my child from acquiring Malaysian citizenship and Sarawakian status,' she added. Rayani Usman This initiative reflects the state government's commitment to resolving the issue of registered Malaysian citizens in Sarawak being denied the K-indicator on their MyKads, denoting them as Sarawakians and excluding them from all state initiatives. They were met following State Minister for Women, Children, and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah's official visit to the state JPN office here yesterday. Speaking to the media after her meeting with JPN officials, Fatimah said that following the state Cabinet approval on Sept 26, 2024, JPN Sarawak now has the authority to approve Sarawakian status for individuals born in the state. citizenship JPN K indicator MyKad
Borneo Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Sarawak to become ageing state by 2028 amid citizenship application delays, says Fatimah
Fatimah visits the state NRD in Kuching. KUCHING (May 30): A total of 628 citizenship applications, out of the 1,567 received between 2018 and last year, are still being processed as of April 30 this year, said State Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah. She said the applications were submitted under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution to the state National Registration Department (NRD). 'The Sarawak state-level Special Working Committee has also received 66 citizenship applications under the same Article from September 5 last year and February this year,' she said following a working visit to the NRD at Bangunan Tun Datuk Patinggi Tuanku Haji Bujang here today. As of last month, Fatimah said the state NRD had received and approved 42 applications for the inclusion of the 'K' indicator in the MyKad for the children involved. Of these, 27 applications were processed in Sibu, 12 at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) Kuching, and one each in Mukah, Bintulu, and Miri. She added that the Special Task Force, meant to address citizenship issues, received 5,243 applications across Sarawak in 2023. Of those, 2,602 were approved for the issuance of identity documents, she disclosed. 'The task force's Technical Committee, which convened on May 15 this year, also approved 3,885 out of 7,981 applications received in 2024. However, out of the total 13,224 applications received overall, she said 6,737 were rejected for various reasons such as having foreign documents, lack of proof of birth in Malaysia, lack of certification by community leaders, and incomplete supporting documents. On the Endowment Fund Sarawak (EFS), Fatimah highlighted concerns on Sarawak's declining birth rate and a shift in gender ratio. 'Based on the statistics we have, Sarawak recorded more baby boys than baby girls. As this trend continues, our boys may grow up facing a limited choice of girls as future spouses,' she remarked. She said not only is Sarawak experiencing fewer births in recent years, but life expectancy is rising. 'Sarawak's life expectancy is in the 70s, which is relatively high, though still below Singapore's 80 years,' she noted. With life expectancy increasing and birth rates slowing, Sarawak is expected to become an ageing state by 2028, she pointed out. 'We must prepare for this. What are the needs, the support systems, and the challenges faced by senior citizens? These are the questions we must address,' she said, stressing the need for early preparations to ensure senior citizens can live with dignity and enjoy a good quality life. Statistics from her ministry showed there were 9,381 births as of April this year. In comparison, 30,235 births were recorded in 2024, with 33,743 births in 2023, 32,740 births (2022), 28,261 births (2021), 33,964 births (2020), and 36,117 births (2019). ageing state citizenship applications fatimah abdullah lead
The Star
29-05-2025
- The Star
Sandakan police intensify crackdown on undocumented migration in joint operation
Several undocumented migrants detained during Ops Poket are escorted by enforcement officers to the Sandakan district police headquarters for further action. SANDAKAN: Police in Sandakan are stepping up efforts to combat undocumented migration and criminal activity through joint operations with other enforcement agencies in the district's urban centre. A total of 16 undocumented migrants were arrested over two days during Ops Poket—an integrated operation involving the Immigration Department, Sandakan Municipal Council, and the National Registration Department. Acting Sandakan OCPD Supt Ramasamy Kuppan said 11 foreign nationals were detained on Tuesday (May 27) morning during checks in the town centre. "They were arrested under the Immigration Act 1959/63 for offences including failure to produce valid travel documents and overstaying, as well as under the Societies Act 1966 for involvement in unregistered organisations," he said in a statement on Thursday (May 29). Another five foreigners were arrested on Wednesday (May 28) evening during a similar operation at the Sandakan central market. 'All individuals have been brought to the Sandakan district police headquarters and Immigration Department for further action,' Ramasamy added. He said police would continue working with other agencies to carry out such operations to ensure public safety and maintain order.
