MIRI, Dec 9 — Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak has made a call on Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to put an end to the long-standing issue of statelessness in Sarawak.
Its chief Roland Engan said the ministry also ought to revive the National Registration Department (JPN) mobile registration unit to help register those living in the remote areas in the state.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs should revive the mobile units in Sarawak and empower them to settle the statelessness issue within a certain reasonable period,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.
He urged all community chiefs and headmen to immediately report stateless individuals to the JPN or police to speed up the process of identifying these individuals.
He also suggested that the ministry allow those without any documents to declare their status to the authorities within a reasonable period of time.
“Amnesty should be granted for complicated cases, and PKR Sarawak hopes that by 2024, all Sarawakians will have proper identification documents.”
Roland also suggested that the return of Sarawak’s health autonomy be expedited by the unity government. — Borneo Post Online