LAWAS, Feb 25 — Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian has expressed his disappointment over news that a nine-year-old girl here was denied access to education because of her citizenship status.

When asked to comment on Jeanny Lianna Ating’s plight which was published earlier, Baru said it was morally wrong for the government to deny any child the right to education.

"I am very disappointed to hear the news.

"The same thing happened with a boy from my village (Pa Berunut) last month, which I had raised in my last press statement,” he said.

According to Baru, the boy was allowed to go to SK Long Tuma for four years.

When his parents applied for him to be transferred to SK Long Luping, he was denied (schooling) because his(parents) application for citizenship was pending.

"A boy of such status can go to school but as a foreign student and pay higher fees, which the parents did.

"In the case of Jeanny, her father is a Malaysian,” he said.

Baru, also Selangau MP, said a recent court case ruled that if one of the parents is a Malaysian citizen, their children can also be Malaysian citizens.

"So, what’s wrong in registering them in school pending all these issues being resolved,” he asked.

He said it was also morally wrong for the government to deny children the basic fundamental rights to education. — Borneo Post