Saifuddin Nasution: Family Problems, Cost Misunderstandings Leave Thousands Without IDs

MACHANG, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- Unregistered marriages, the imprisonment of parents and misunderstandings over purported high registration costs are among the key reasons that tens of thousands nationwide remain without identification documents.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail revealed that complex family issues have led to late registration cases, involving birth certificates and identity cards (MyKad), continuing to be recorded at an average of about 12,000 to 13,000 cases annually.

“For example, a child is born but the father is imprisoned, or the parents disappear without a trace. There are also cases of late birth registration due to unregistered marriages, leaving mothers confused and unsure where to go to register their child.

“More saddening are cases of misunderstanding. Some do not register their children because they think they have no money, when in fact the registration process does not require any payment,” he said at a press conference after the Menyemai Kasih Rakyat (MEKAR) programme in Kampung Simpul Belubang, here.

To encourage more marginalised individuals to come forward and register, he assured that the government provides exemptions from fines or compounds for such late registration cases.

“We waive the charges. When we treat this as a special case, we must address the root of the problem. No fines are imposed, and we grant full exemptions,” he said.

Acknowledging the constraints faced by the group, Saifuddin Nasution said that the National Registration Department (NRD) has intensified outreach efforts with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), instead of waiting for applicants at its counters.

Through a collaboration with NGO Jejak Jalanan, NRD resolved a two-generation documentation issue involving a family in Kelantan, with nine members - Nur Fauziah Muhamad, 32, her four children and four siblings - receiving their birth certificates, MyKid and MyKad.

“The case, which began under the Kaunter Lorong outreach programme in Chow Kit on Feb 7, was resolved in less than a month, without bureaucratic red tape,” he said.

In a related move, he said that the government has secured Cabinet Committee approval to provide a fast-track Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) pathway for teenagers who dropped out of school due to the lack of a MyKad.

“I have instructed the director-general to submit their names immediately. Even without school certificates, they will be enrolled in TVET programmes and trained in skills such as sewing, cooking and other vocational fields to secure their future,” he added.

-- BERNAMA