Kuala lumpur: The Home Ministry (KDN) has successfully made decisions on 12,509 applications for personal identification documents from residents living in the interior regions of Sarawak, facilitated by the Special Task Force (PPK).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail disclosed that these decisions stemmed from a total of 13,224 applications that the task force has collected since July 2023. The remaining 715 applications are still under process. Despite Malaysia's status as a developed country, some residents remain without birth certificates or MyKad, which significantly restricts their access to essential services like education and healthcare.
In addressing these challenges, the Minister highlighted, "Officers do not wait at the office. They go to the longhouses and seek out people without documents. If this happens, life becomes difficult. It is hard to attend school, and if someone falls ill, hospital expenses are high." This was mentioned during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, in response to Datuk Ali Biju (PN-Saratok) regarding the status of document issuance for stateless individuals in Sarawak's remote areas and whether processes have been simplified due to the state's challenging geography.
Saifuddin Nasution elaborated that the task force operates under the Sarawak Premier's Department, with support from the Home Ministry via the National Registration Department (JPN) under the Menyemai Kasih Rakyat (MEKAR) initiative. He noted that existing regulations require births to be registered within 40 days in Sarawak and Sabah, and 60 days in Peninsular Malaysia, but the state's geographical layout has hindered many residents from meeting these requirements.
He emphasized that applications processed by the special task force bypass conventional bureaucratic procedures. "Under the standard bureaucracy, those without documents had to bring their children to the office, where officers would wait. Under the new procedure, we go directly to them," he stated.
The Minister further detailed that since the establishment of the special task force, nine special engagement programmes have been executed, contributing to a total of 1,117 initiatives on personal identification documentation. In particular, 236 programmes were completed in 2023, 204 in 2024, and 404 are planned for 2025. Seven have already been completed within the second and third weeks of January this year alone.
He also pointed to low awareness among communities regarding birth registration as a contributing factor to the lack of personal identification documents, alongside geographical challenges. The ministry, through JPN, is also supporting documentation efforts for the Orang Asli communities in Peninsular Malaysia. Citing a programme with the Orang Asli in Kuala Tahan, Pahang, he noted that more than 200 issues related to personal identification documents were resolved during their stay.
Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Ramli Mohd Nor suggested that KDN, JPN, and the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) should prioritize the Negrito tribe residing in the Malaysia-Thailand border areas for similar documentation efforts.