Over 2,000 stateless Sarawakians get nod for identification documents

A committee to tackle the problem of stateless Sarawakians has approved more than 2,000 applications of identification documents since Oct 2015.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun said some of the approved applicants had received their identification documents while others had yet to receive them although approval had been given.

Entulu, who is the joint chairman with Datuk Maximus Ongkili of the Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputera Technical Committee that had been given the task to solve the problem until Dec 31, 2017, has requested elected representatives to assist the committee.

For the record the term, 'stateless Sarawakians', refers to locals who do not possess identification documents issued by the National Registration Department (NRD).

"The committee when accepting the applications will consider two criteria, that is the applicants and parents born in Sarawak," he said after opening the fourth triennial Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Women and Youth conference here today.

In addition, he said, the committee would investigate the details of applications such as supporting documents or related materials to prove the authenticity of the applicant's citizenship.

"Some of the applications we have to refer back to the state government to conduct further investigation," he said.

He said these applicants were interviewed first and, if further investigation was needed, it would refer to the state government by investigating the background of the applicants like their ancestors.

On the 2017 Budget, he said, the government needed to be prudent in its spending to ensure a good rating by the international rating agency. -- Bernama