PETALING JAYA: The Stateless Family Support Group (SFSG) has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for assisting 22-year-old Rohana Abdullah with her citizenship application.

       SFSG co-lead committee member Kuan Kin Chong in a statement said the group applauds and welcomes the intervention of Ismail Sabri on Rohana who has pleaded for help on her citizenship application.

       However, Kuan said SFSG hopes the Federal Government continues its efforts to resolve the issue of stateless individuals in the country as Malaysia is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

       “The government ought to comply with international human rights standards.

       “Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the international law provides that the right of states to decide who their nationals are is not absolute and, in particular, states must comply with their human rights obligations concerning the granting and loss of nationality.

       “States shall also prevent statelessness upon loss or deprivation of nationality.

       “As a nation, Malaysia has infringed Article 7(1) of the United Nations Child’s Rights Convention (UNCRC), in which every child born here shall be registered immediately after birth and have the right from birth to a name and the right to obtain nationality.

       “We would like the government to take these necessary action plans to help reduce statelessness in the country and will stand by the government to help in any way possible,” said Kuan, adding that several Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) related targets are pertinent to improving the living conditions of stateless persons.

       Kuan also highlighted some of the group’s grievances faced during the citizenship application process.

       “Apart from a very long waiting process, some cases have been since 2014 and are still waiting for a reply from the Home Ministry.

       “We also received rejection letters without any reason given.

       “While waiting for the citizenship process, local parents of these stateless children have to pay exorbitant fees towards their education in government schools and government healthcare facilities.

       “Some face barriers to higher education institutions,” said Kuan.

       SFSG was formed to help several Malaysian parents with stateless Malaysian children, legally adopted children and abandoned children born in Malaysia.