KUCHING, June 16 — The Sarawak government is looking into the issue of the ‘K’ indicator in MyKad for stateless persons who have been granted citizenship in the state amid claims of discrimination.

Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah explained today that the ‘K’ indicator for Sarawakians is based on conditions set by the National Registration Department (JPN) according to the First Schedule and Schedule 1A of Subregulation 5(2) of the National Registration Regulations 1990.

The Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development minister added that in line with Article 15A of the Federal Constitution, it is given to a person based on their parents’ indicators, subject to the person’s original birth certificate.

"For adopted children, the ‘K’ indicator is determined based on the indicators of their biological parents. For individuals who are granted citizenship under 15(2) of the Federal Constitution, they are eligible to receive the ‘K’ indicator based on the mother’s indicator only.

"If only the father has an indicator, JPN Sarawak director’s approval must be obtained first,” she told a press conference here today.

Last Month, former Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang urged the state government to urgently resolve the issue of newly-registered Malaysian citizens in the state being denied the ‘K’ indicator on their MyKads.

Claiming that the lack of the indicator was ‘discriminatory’, she said this would result in difficulties for them to find employment and live a fulfilling life in the only state which they have known since they were born.

Fatimah said that even if a child’s citizenship was granted in Sarawak, it does not mean that the child would also be given the ‘K’ indicator in their Mykads.

According to her, most of children involved in such cases were those who had been abandoned by their biological parents.

Fatimah acknowledged the implications from the lack of this indicator in their MyKad as these children may not be able to find employment in the state.

Based on JPN Instruction No. 14/2017, the ‘K’ indicator cannot be given to found/abandoned children because information about the mother/father is not obtained.

"In the case of a non-citizen child who was born in Sarawak and adopted as a child by a citizen couple holding the ‘K’ indicator and has been granted citizenship under Article 15A by the Minister of Home Affairs, the granting of the ‘K’ indicator cannot be done automatically to the child because the ‘K’ indicator is subject to the information of the biological mother or father in the child’s original birth certificate,” she said.

"For information, an initial discussion was held on April 10 regarding the issue involving my ministry, the Sarawak State Attorney-General’s Department, the Immigration Department Sarawak and the Sarawak Premier’s Office,” she added.

Among the conditions imposed to get the indicator is to have been issued or hold a Sarawak Identification Card (KPP).

In addition, children born in any region in Malaysia (Peninsula, Sarawak or Sabah) are eligible to be given the ‘K’ indicator if the mother or father’s Mykad has it. — Borneo Post