Kuala lumpur: The National Registration Department (JPN) recorded 4,598 applications for late birth registrations nationwide between Jan 1 and July 15 this year. Its director-general, Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias, emphasized the importance of birth registration in ensuring individuals can enjoy their rights as citizens, including access to healthcare, education, and various government services.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, delaying or failing to register a birth can lead to significant challenges, such as difficulties in obtaining identity documents and accessing rights and facilities provided by the government. Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias highlighted these potential repercussions during a presentation of birth certificates to eight children of Zapni Abd Wahab in Kampung Johal.

Their mother, Nur Syuhada Wahab, expressed relief after a 19-year wait for her children to receive their birth certificates. The approval by JPN has ended a long struggle of registering her children for school and accessing medical facilities. The absence of birth certificates had previously posed numerous challenges, including answering extensive questions and navigating complex procedures.

Nur Syuhada explained that the delay in registering her children's births was due to family issues, such as the lack of marriage documents and transportation difficulties to the JPN office. Now, with the birth certificates in hand, she plans to enroll her six children, aged between six and 16, in school next year.