NRD records 13,000 to 15,000 late birth registrations annually, with Saifuddin Nasution warning of long-term problems for children
PETALING JAYA: The National Registration Department (NRD) handles between 13,000 and 15,000 late birth registration cases each year, a figure Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said remains high despite Malaysia approaching 69 years of independence.
He said while birth registration might seem like basic knowledge, some parents, guardians and members of the public still failed to register births within the stipulated period.
“In Peninsular Malaysia, a birth must be registered within 60 days. In Sabah and Sarawak, it must be registered within 40 days.
“Can it still be registered after the 60-day period has lapsed? Yes. We only categorise it as late registration,” he told reporters after visiting a student whose MyKad application he had helped expedite last year in Port Dickson today.
Saifuddin said failure to register births could create long-term problems for children, including difficulties enrolling in school and obtaining identity documents.
He said the issue often only came to light when children grew older and their families sought assistance from elected representatives or government agencies.
“If a birth is not registered, it will cause problems for the child. Even entering school becomes difficult. Teachers are also placed in a difficult position, and the child’s future becomes uncertain,” he said.
Saifuddin said some cases stemmed from a lack of awareness, while others involved family or social problems.
He said reasons given by parents included not knowing that births had to be registered, believing registration required payment, living far from a registration office, or having a spouse in prison or a drug rehabilitation centre.
“Sometimes we think we have moved far ahead, but there are still segments of society without enough knowledge on this matter.
“That is the start of the problem. When the child grows up, they look for their elected representative and others to help,” he said.
Saifuddin said the cases involved Malaysian citizens and not foreign nationals.
He said children could be registered as Malaysian citizens if one parent was Malaysian and the required marriage and registration documents were in order.
He also cited a previous case in Felda Sungai Buaya involving siblings aged between 17 and 31 who did not have identity documents, had never attended school and could not read or write.
Saifuddin said the NRD subsequently traced their parents’ marriage records, processed their late birth registrations and issued their identity cards.
He said the NRD had also resolved about 13,000 cases involving primary and secondary school students who were already enrolled in mainstream schools but did not have identity documents.
He said the cases were resolved within six months after being identified two years ago