Sabah to form special bodies to look into citizenship, undocumented residents

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has agreed to set up a Special Committee on Citizenship Status and a special task force to address issues of Sabah residents without identification documents.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the state Cabinet had in a meeting endorsed the formation of the special committee to scrutinise, ascertain, coordinate and assist in expediting new and backlog applications pertaining to citizenship issues under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution in the state.

Announcing this at the Chief Minister’s Department post-cabinet meeting at Menara Kinabalu here on Wednesday (Sept 4), Hajiji said the special committee will be entrusted to recommend the registration of children and anyone under 21 years as a citizen subject to Article 18 of the Federal Constitution – General Provisions on Registration.

“The decision to set up this special committee is due to rampant cases of children born in Sabah without documentation and identity card, causing them to encounter problems such as going to school.

“Often, these were due to their parents’ negligence,” he said.

The special committee will be jointly chaired by the Home Minister and Chief Minister while the Sabah Registration Department and National Registration and Organisation Division, Home Ministry will be joint-secretariat.

Hajiji said in relation, all applications will be screened and recommended to the special committee – Sabah Panel, jointly chaired by the Home Ministry’s deputy secretary-general and Sabah Home Affairs and Research secretary.

As for the special task force to address issues of Sabah residents without identification documents, the Chief Minister said it would be placed under the purview of the Committee of Foreigners Management in Sabah, which is being co-chaired by the Home Minister and Chief Minister.

The special task force to be chaired by the Home Ministry’s secretary-general and State Secretary is aimed at resolving the perennial problem of undocumented people in Sabah.