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MIRI – Sarawak PKR has set up regional secretariats in four different zones in this vast state to help locate locals who are stateless to help them secure a birth certificate and identity card.
Its information chief Diog Dios said the party will liaise with the National Registration Department on the task.
"We in PKR have set up regional secretariats specifically to look into the plight of those Sarawakians who are still without vital personal documents like birth certificates and MyKads.
"The personal document woes in Sarawak have been prolonged for a long time already.
"It has come to a stage where we have to step in and play a ground role in getting help for the stateless, especially those in the far reaches of the state," he said in a statement.
The secretariats are for northern Sarawak covering Miri, Bintulu and Limbang divisions; central Sarawak covering Sibu, Sarikei, Mukah and Betong divisions; central-western Sarawak covering Kapit and Hulu Rajang divisions; and southern Sarawak covering Sri Aman, Serian, Samarahan and Kuching.
The person-in-charge for northern Sarawak is Roland Engan (085-421040), for central Sarawak is Patrick Kamis (019-4695252), for the central-western zone is Senator Abun Sui (016-8881502) and for the southern zone is Doing Ak (019-8865734).
Engan said those having such personal document problems can contact the coordinators on their phones.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution had agreed to the setting up of a special committee to register stateless folks.
Sarawak PKR was authorised to coordinate with the NRD and state leaders to help in the matter.
Sui had later said that the PKR leaders had attended a meeting with both Anwar and Saifuddin in Putrajaya.
"Our Sarawak PKR branches in the 31 parliamentary constituencies in this state have been asked to assist in this drive as there are big numbers of rural Sarawak folks still without birth certificates and identity cards," he said.
Past estimates have indicated that there could be tens of thousands of individuals in Sarawak without personal documents like birth certificates and identity cards. – The Vibes, November 9, 2023