Media Statement By Irene Chang:
In response to the statement by the Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, YB Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, I commend the Sarawak state cabinet for approving the proposal to allow previously-stateless adopted children in Sarawak to receive the “K” indicator in their identity cards upon their successful citizenship application.
However, while this is a significant first step, the ministry needs to urgently release a comprehensive, detailed guidelines and SOP providing a clear framework regarding the “K” status for all parties involved. Moreover, I urge the State Government to enlighten those applicants who have already previously applied for the “K” indicator at the Immigration Department and are currently waiting for the results, on whether they should reapply. In the event that these existing applicants are to wait, what is the time frame before they would know if their application has been approved or otherwise.
The Sarawak Government should also clarify if the “K” indicator will automatically be given to new successful citizenship applicants, or are they required to file a separate application to be recognized as Anak Sarawak.
It is also noted that the current proposal makes no mention of the “K” indicator for biological children who were born illegitimately out of wedlock to a Sarawakian biological father whose name is inserted into these children’s birth certificate as the biological father.
We have here a few families whose foreigner biological mothers came to Sarawak and gave birth to the children here, and subsequently abandoned the children with the Sarawakian fathers and thereafter returned to their respective countries without registering their marriage to the Sarawakian fathers, thereby rendering these children illegitimate.
Similarly, upon successfully being registered as Malaysian citizens under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution, these children were also not given the “K” indicator in their identity cards. The current proposal which has been approved by the State Cabinet should also include these children whose biological father is a Sarawakian with the “K” indicator in his identity card.
I further urge the ministry to expedite this matter and to fine-tune all required procedure with all relevant government departments. This matter has been ongoing since the time I first wrote to the State Secretary in 2021. Since then, we have lost many local talents to West Malaysia and even to Singapore when they could not get proper employment due to the lack of the “K” indicator in their new identity card.
