City News
Speak Up And Stop This Trend: Citizenship for athletes A Breeze While Our Locals Continue To Suffer!
February 06, 2020
The Malaysian government's move to grant footballer Liridon Krasniqi of Kosovo, a Johor Darul Ta’zim midfielder citizenship in whirlwind speed is a true definition of the old Malay saying that goes, "Kera di hutan disusukan tetapi anak di pangkuan mati kelaparan." In a time when thousands of Malaysian are struggling to be known as 'anak Malaysia', we have truly failed them by choosing to do what's fashionable.
*Literal translation: Leaving your child at home to die of hunger while you feed the monkeys in the wood
*What it actually means: An old proverb about misplaced priorities, often deployed to devastating effect by pro-development politicians.
The news, as reported by various local media was confirmed by the FA of Malaysia and it was also added that he will be eligible to play for Harimau Malaya as a naturalised player.
But here's what's interesting...DID YOU KNOW? Thanks to our YB Kasthuri Patto, we are reminded that:
- Ragad Waleed Al-Kurdi (Sarawak Governor Abdul Taib Mahmud's Syrian-born wife citizenship came in at whirlwind speed – a citizen in six years and to have voted in GE13 and the Sarawak state elections in 2016.
- “Mat Dan” a British citizen who won the hearts of the people of Terengganu with his proficiency and charm in mastering the dialect when he visited Malaysia in 2009. He converted to Islam in 2013, married a Malaysian in 2017 and received his Permanent Residence status from the then home minister Zahid Hamidi in February 2018, much to his surprise.
- Indian preacher Zakir Naik’s PR for his wife and all his children had been obtained within "minutes" from the Home Ministry with VIP treatment under the instruction of Barisan Nasional leaders.
In her statement she highlighted that:
"In my Parliament question last year, up to September 2019, the Welfare Department recorded 1,933 stateless children placed in homes all over the country. This comprised 1,098 boys and 835 girls, of which 1,401 are Malay children, 148 Indians and 80 Chinese. 864 children are from the age of 15 to 18 and 94 children fall into the five to six category.
Normally, it is the responsibility of the caretaker or the operator of the home to apply for citizenship for these innocent children born in Malaysia. In the event these children are not awarded citizenship by the age of 18, they step out into the world as undocumented, stateless and status-less adults.
We have then to admit that we have failed these innocent, pure children."
- KASTHURI PATTO, the Member of Parliament for Batu Kawan.
The full media statement can be read here: Hidden hands still dominate and control how citizenship is awarded?
- Article 19(3) that: “The periods of residence in the Federation or the relevant part of it which are required for the grant of a certificate of naturalisation are periods which amount in the aggregate to not less than ten years in the twelve years immediately preceding the date of the application for the certificate, and which include the twelve months immediately preceding that date.”
- Article 14 of the Federal Constitution allows Malaysian men to pass on citizenship to their children born overseas, with approval being obtained within a month of applying for citizenship.
- Malaysian women with foreign spouses have to apply for their children’s citizenship under a different provision - Article 15 (2) of the Federal Constitution.
- Deputy Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh said Putrajaya was seeking to address citizenship issues.
- This includes pushing for automatic citizenship for overseas-born children of Malaysian women, as well as for DNA to be used as conclusive evidence for citizenship approval.
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