The Malaysian Insight

SABAH will assist children from unregistered marriages between locals and foreigners via the legalisation programme so that they can have a brighter future.

“However, there are strict procedures to be followed. Applicants must prove that their children were born in Sabah,” said Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal at the Parliament lobby today.

“Next, they must prove that one of the parents is a local. Only then can they proceed to the next step under the legalisation programme.”

The state administration has come under scrutiny after certain quarters accused it of issuing MyKad to illegals under the programme.

Shafie has consistently denied the claims.

According to a census carried out by state civil groups, there are more than 800,000 stateless people in Sabah.

Under Malaysia’s citizenship laws, children from unregistered marriages between Sabahans and foreigners, are considered foreigners.

Earlier today, Deputy Home Minister Azis Jamman hit out at Keningau MP and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku president Dr Jeffrey Kitingan over the government’s efforts to deal with the issue.

Shafie said all those with Sabahan blood should be treated equally.

“If someone was born in Sabah, and one of their parents is Sabahan, we can’t send them to Japan, right? They can’t even speak Japanese.”

On claims that the state government is handing out MyKad to foreigners, he said: “The children have no other place to go. We are trying to do something good for the future of these children. They have no place to run to, not Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines or Indonesia.

“They don’t have anyone there. They were born in Sabah.

“All that we can do now is to make sure they are taken care of, resolve the problem… if the child is Malaysian, why should we not help them?” – March 12, 2019.