Losing Identity Card Means Losing Citizenship

In one of my previous blog posting, I did blog about a Malaysian being arrested and detained in a detention centre for illegal immigrants because she could only speak her own native language and the officials thought she was an illegal immigrant. She was detained for one year because she couldn't explain herself.

Another controversial issue related to the Malaysian Identity Card ("IC") may cause you to have brain haemorrhage:-
A Sino-Kadazan by the name of Yong Lee Hua @ Piang Lin has a nightmare that began when she lost her IC at a supermarket at Penampang Baru on 12 Feb 2007.

On the same day, she lodged a police report and subsequently on 26 Feb, applied for a replacement IC at the National Registration Department ("NRD") office in Donggongon.

After several months, she went and collected her replacement IC at the NRD office and was given a red IC.

She asked the officer why it was red and the lady officer said for senior citizens who lost their IC, the department normally replaced them with red ICs.

She didn't find anything amiss with the officer's explanation until she reached home when her children said red ICs were issued to people with Permanent Resident status.

With the help of her children, they brought the matter up with the NRD together with supporting documents such as her Native Certificate that was issued by the Native Court on 24 Sept 1963, bank books and passport.

The NRD officer admitted there could have been an error but instead of rectifying it, Yong was asked to "apply for Malaysian citizenship" which she duly complied by submitting an application form to the office on July 2, last year.

Her problem did not end there because soon after, her bank accounts at Amanah Saham Nasional and Alliance Bank were frozen making her unable to withdraw money for her daily expenses.
-------------------------

The mistake caused by the NRD has been blamed on Yong now. Imagine a Malaysian who has lost her IC is now required to re-apply for her citizenship in order to become a real Malaysian again.

As far as I know, NRD will issue a compound in your name for losing that IC. Which new law states that when a Malaysian citizen loses an IC, the original Malaysian citizenship will be downgraded to one being a Permanent Resident.

I have seen a number of foreign people in the construction industry especially those from Indonesia having the same red IC too. All they need to do was to work (be it legal or illegal) for a few years in Malaysia and they will qualify for it. It's like a gift for foreign workers.

In this case, a Malaysian citizen who is already 78 years old and had recently voted at the 12th general election on 8 March 2008 is now stateless. The recently proposed bonuses for Malaysian government staff should be forfeited for the whole NRD office in Penampang of Sabah.

Reading: Illegals gain citizenship; Sabahans lose theirs' - Daily Express

Related post - Try Forgetting Your Identity Card Number
Tags: Illegal Immigrant, Malaysian Identity Card, Malaysian Citizenship, Sabah, Yong Lee Hua, Piang Lin, Sino-Kadazan, Native Certificate, Native Court, Permanent Resident, Donggongon, Penampang, Stateless