SEMPORNA: The Home Ministry (KDN) has pledged to resolve the issue of identification documents involving 12,000 students in the country within six to 12 months. Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced that KDN, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE), has identified approximately 12,000 students in mainstream education who lack identification documents.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, these students, spanning primary and secondary schools, often lack identification documents due to irregularities in their parents’ marriages, such as unregistered marriages. Records shared by MOE with KDN indicate the presence of about 12,000 such students. Identified through District Education Offices registration, KDN and MOE aim to update the data to ensure no similar cases are overlooked.

Saifuddin Nasution shared these details while presenting identification documents to six recipients at the Menyemai Kasih Rakyat (Mekar) programme at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pulau Mabul. He emphasized the impor
tance of timely birth registrations, noting that late registrations can hinder children’s education and result in higher hospitalisation fees. The National Registration Department (JPN) has initiated efforts to reach remote areas, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, to assist those lacking identification documents.

The Mekar programme, Saifuddin Nasution highlighted, greatly benefits underserved communities in Sabah. With 188 programmes implemented so far, the government’s commitment to assisting rural populations is clear. Ajari Ghadari, a 21-year-old recipient, expressed gratitude for receiving his identification documents after a three-year wait. Similarly, Abd Lajid Ammin thanked the government for approving his children’s citizenship applications after a prolonged effort.