NRD should relook at the whole process of citizenship application

The National Registration Department (NRD) should relook at the whole process concerning application for citizenship for stateless people.

Director of ASEAN Research Centre & Associate Prof of Economics, Asia School of Business Dr Melati Nungsari said if the department explained their procedures and processes better, the applicants will be better prepared to submit their applications.

"For example, when you do a citizenship interview, there is a Bahasa Malaysia proficiency test as well.

"if you've gone through the process, you realised that nobody actually tells you, for example, what's going to be in the interview? What's going to be tested? Is there like a guidebook you can study from? There's nothing like that," said Dr Melati.

She added that there were cases where people have not been able to get citizenship because they failed their BM proficiency test.

"Not only that, there is also the burden of paperwork into this whole process that really falls on children for the most part," said Dr Melati during an interview with Astro AWANI's Consider This.

She was invited to share her research findings based on an in-depth study on statelessness titled 'Human Rights and Statelessness in Peninsular Malaysia' commissioned by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia(SUHAKAM) which was recently released.

She is also the lead author of the study.

Also featured during the interview is former stateless Malaysian Wong Yew Leng who shared his arduous journey in obtaining a citizenship.

"The statelessness issues that have hampered my life did not just end when I have obtained my Identification Card.

"There are a number of missed opportunities from the time spent not having proper documentations such as getting my driving license, opening a bank account and many others," he lamented.

He hoped that more awareness will be shed on the issue so that the stigma surrounding those who are classified as stateless will be eradicated.