BEST FBKL: So many have written to BEST FBKL expressing their displeasure at the express citizenship for footballers, while genuine cases have been waiting for a long time, some for over 10 years. The process has to be improved. Dodgy approvals must be investigated by an Internal Affairs unit. The approval process must be transparent.
One Malaysian Grab driver was complaining he has been trying to get the necessary documents for a young boy he adopted legally from a home and has been waiting for over 10 years. When he enquires at the Ministry he is just told to wait.
A question of citizenship
THE STAR
Saturday, 08 Feb 20208:48 AM MYT
By SHARON LING
- Photo courtesy of FAM
THE granting of Malaysian citizenship to footballer Liridon Krasniqi has raised eyebrows in Sarawak.
The Kosovan-born midfielder received his MyKad in Putrajaya on Monday (Feb 3), about five years after he made his debut with Kedah in the M-League.
What is causing concern here is not so much Krasniqi's naturalisation but how it was apparently done so quickly, while many stateless individuals in Sarawak have been waiting years for citizenship.
According to local group Lawyer Kamek for Change (LK4C), the National Registration Department (NRD) must explain whether Krasniqi was naturalised according to procedure.
"Under Article 19 of the Federation Constitution, the requirement is that he has to reside in Malaysia for an aggregate of not less than 10 years in the 12 years immediately preceding the date of the application for the certificate.
"Not only that, he has to show that he has an adequate knowledge of the Malay language, which is to be assessed by the Language Board," LK4C director Simon Siah said in a statement.
Over the years, he said, Sarawakians have had to fight for their citizenship applications to be approved.
He cited one Rika Herline as an example, noting that she stopped schooling after she was bullied for being stateless.
"After her grievance was brought up in public and the NRD threatened with a suit, her application was eventually approved," he said.
He also referred to the case of Rachel Sia, who was adopted as a baby in 1999 and has applied more than four times for a MyKad since turning 12 but has yet to receive approval until now.
"Rachel was previously issued with a birth certificate but when she was 12 years old, it was taken back and cancelled by the NRD. The new birth certificate does not contain any information of her (adoptive) parents and her natural parents could not be traced.
"Her most recent application (for citizenship) was in 2017 and until today, they have just been asked to wait," Siah said, urging the NRD to be fair and impartial in giving out citizenship.
He also pointed out that the Sarawak government had previously formed a special committee to help stateless children apply for citizenship.
However, the committee was abolished in July last year after the Home Ministry said it would set up a special task force to handle the matter.
"The Home Minister promised that proper SOP (standard operating procedures) will be in place to expedite applications from stateless children, especially in Sarawak.
"However, up to date, the special team and SOP have not been forthcoming," Siah said.
Given these circumstances, it's no wonder that LK4C described the footballer's naturalisation as a "smack in the face" to thousands of stateless children in Malaysia, particularly in Sarawak.
It does seem like a bitter pill to swallow for Malaysian-born persons who remain stateless after many years and the government owes them an explanation.
The special task force and SOP for reviewing and expediting applications must be put in place immediately to resolve matters relating to citizenship applications.
The government must show that it is serious about tackling this issue and, as Siah said, act fairly, impartially and speedily in processing applications.
If this can be done for a foreign-born footballer, surely it can be done, even more so, for Malaysian-born individuals.
Saturday, 08 Feb 20208:48 AM MYT
By SHARON LING
- Photo courtesy of FAM
THE granting of Malaysian citizenship to footballer Liridon Krasniqi has raised eyebrows in Sarawak.
The Kosovan-born midfielder received his MyKad in Putrajaya on Monday (Feb 3), about five years after he made his debut with Kedah in the M-League.
What is causing concern here is not so much Krasniqi's naturalisation but how it was apparently done so quickly, while many stateless individuals in Sarawak have been waiting years for citizenship.
According to local group Lawyer Kamek for Change (LK4C), the National Registration Department (NRD) must explain whether Krasniqi was naturalised according to procedure.
"Under Article 19 of the Federation Constitution, the requirement is that he has to reside in Malaysia for an aggregate of not less than 10 years in the 12 years immediately preceding the date of the application for the certificate.
"Not only that, he has to show that he has an adequate knowledge of the Malay language, which is to be assessed by the Language Board," LK4C director Simon Siah said in a statement.
Over the years, he said, Sarawakians have had to fight for their citizenship applications to be approved.
He cited one Rika Herline as an example, noting that she stopped schooling after she was bullied for being stateless.
"After her grievance was brought up in public and the NRD threatened with a suit, her application was eventually approved," he said.
He also referred to the case of Rachel Sia, who was adopted as a baby in 1999 and has applied more than four times for a MyKad since turning 12 but has yet to receive approval until now.
"Rachel was previously issued with a birth certificate but when she was 12 years old, it was taken back and cancelled by the NRD. The new birth certificate does not contain any information of her (adoptive) parents and her natural parents could not be traced.
"Her most recent application (for citizenship) was in 2017 and until today, they have just been asked to wait," Siah said, urging the NRD to be fair and impartial in giving out citizenship.
He also pointed out that the Sarawak government had previously formed a special committee to help stateless children apply for citizenship.
However, the committee was abolished in July last year after the Home Ministry said it would set up a special task force to handle the matter.
"The Home Minister promised that proper SOP (standard operating procedures) will be in place to expedite applications from stateless children, especially in Sarawak.
"However, up to date, the special team and SOP have not been forthcoming," Siah said.
Given these circumstances, it's no wonder that LK4C described the footballer's naturalisation as a "smack in the face" to thousands of stateless children in Malaysia, particularly in Sarawak.
It does seem like a bitter pill to swallow for Malaysian-born persons who remain stateless after many years and the government owes them an explanation.
The special task force and SOP for reviewing and expediting applications must be put in place immediately to resolve matters relating to citizenship applications.
The government must show that it is serious about tackling this issue and, as Siah said, act fairly, impartially and speedily in processing applications.
If this can be done for a foreign-born footballer, surely it can be done, even more so, for Malaysian-born individuals.
