FEBRUARY 21 ― Tan Sri,

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) is an important ministry to ensure that all major issues in our own backyard are being taken care of before our prime minister asks the president of another country to step down.

We have many cases involving custodial death and enforced disappearances, which put Malaysia on international limelight for the wrong reasons. These cases continue to happen, without any sign of political will of even the current government to rectify.

The Suhakam Inquiry had named the Special Branch of the Royal as the party that was responsible for the disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh and Perlis Hope activist, Amri Che Mat. I quote the panel’s finding:

"The Panel is of the considered view that the enforced disappearance of (both Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat) was carried out by agents of the State, namely the Special Branch, Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur, within the definition of the first limb under Article 2 of ICPPED.

If you still do not take cognizance of your capability to solve issues like this, you should at least be told that the civil society is unhappy with the way how things are developing under your care as the Minister of Home Affairs.

The family of Amri has already commenced civil proceedings against the Malaysian government and police, because they do not have confidence in the manner investigations into Amri’s disappearance had been conducted.

Till today, the team investigating the enforced disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh has yet to be set up. The family of Pastor Raymond Koh is already in the process of filing a civil suit against the Malaysian government and the police. What a shame!

I have personally written to you several times on a number of issues in the past two years yet, none of these issues have been solved. I am not surprised, as a former senior cabinet minister has also complained of your lack of response even to her complaints especially relating to matters handled by your ministry.

In my email two years ago, I mentioned of a young girl who is born to a Malaysian parent and suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), yet her statelessness is not solved by your ministry despite numerous attempts by the family to apply for her citizenship for the past five years. I have connected the family with a legal firm that is willing to take up the case.

This is only one case. I am sure I am speaking on behalf of some 40,000 other stateless people in this country. In a number of cases, it is not about lack of administrative manpower, but the lack of political will on your part and on the part of people in your ministry to solve an age-old issue.

This major problem we are facing today with statelessness could have been prevented if the parliament had heeded the voices of conscience amidst the decision to amend the federal constitution. Please read the Hansard dated January 31, 1962 on parliamentary debate on the Adjournment Sine Die (Motion) (Col 4415) Exempted Business (Motion) (Col. 4416) Bill: Constitutional (Amendment) Bill (Col. 4417).

I have also personally written to you on another issue regarding international student visa for students from third world countries who want to want to take up religious studies in Malaysia. Yet, after two years of following up, I can only say that your ministry has been dragging its feet over a simple matter. Till today, the people concerned are still waiting for a meeting with the ministry officials to solve the problem once and for all.

Please ask Dr Mahathir Mohamad why he had no qualms approving the student visa for these international students. He was the one who had given the approval. It was only revoked by Zahid Ahmad Hamidi, with nothing but only flimsy excuses.

We, in the civil society, are observing how you have fared even within a new Pakatan Harapan framework. I thought of giving you a chance when you stood up against a kleptocratic leader and decided to switch camp, but your lack of focus on solving real issues affecting real people is simply too appalling for me not to put this as an open letter.

As a member of the civil society, I uphold the constitutional rights to freedom of religion for all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, and if anything I feel obligated to speak on behalf of voiceless children who are born to statelessness.

There is no reason why we can claim to be pious men or women who believe in God, and perform all the religious rites, when we deprive others of their freedom to practise their religions or choose to deprive others of a right to citizenry, especially when they are born not by their own choice into a country, which has always upheld our belief in God as one of our five pillars of nationhood.

* Stephen Ng is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008. After May 9, 2018, he is now involved in contributing ideas towards rebuilding of the nation.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.