Elderly Lawas couple’s MyKads returned after two-year wait, offering hope to stateless family

MIRI (Oct 11): After two years of uncertainty since their MyKads were seized by the National Registration Department (JPN) in 2022, 80-year-old Anderias Sia and his wife, Ribka Palung, finally had their identity cards returned in Lawas on Oct 10.

Their son, Dickson, 58, shared that his parents received their MyKads from a JPN officer at their home in Kampung Air Terjun Batu 4.

“I received a call from JPN earlier this week, saying they wanted to meet my parents. Yesterday, I received a video call from them, where the JPN officer personally handed over their MyKads,” Dickson told The Borneo Post when contacted.

Overwhelmed and in disbelief, Dickson said the family had endured a long, difficult wait.

The return of his parents’ MyKads also brought hope to him and his four siblings — Dennis, Derita @ Anita, Diana, and Jeneffer — all in their late 40s and 50s, who have been stateless for nearly 50 years.

The family, whose struggles were highlighted in a special report by The Borneo Post in July, had faced significant challenges due to their statelessness, including difficulties accessing essential services such as healthcare.

“Honestly, I never thought that this day would come so quickly. I am speechless. About a month after the news was published in The Borneo Post, I received a call from JPN asking for a copy of the letter from the Indonesian consulate, which was mentioned in the news article.

“They requested a copy, so I provided it to them. Shortly after, they asked me to go to JPN to change my citizenship status from a temporary resident (MyKas) to a permanent resident (MyPR), which I did,” said Dickson.

Following the return of his parents’ MyKads, Dickson and his siblings planned to return to Lawas this week to submit their documents to JPN, hoping to facilitate their own citizenship applications.

“I cannot thank enough those who have helped us throughout these difficult years, including The Borneo Post for highlighting our family’s plight.

“I would also like to convey my family’s deepest appreciation to the government for their efforts in addressing the issue of statelessness,” he said.

Besides Dickson’s parents, three others had their MyKads returned by JPN on Oct 10 and 11 – the wife of former border scout Basar Arun, Sarlin Rining; Yohana Sinau; and Liteh Samat – all in their late 70s.

Local activist Agnes Padan, who has been advocating for the rights of indigenous communities in Lawas, particularly on citizenship issues, expressed her joy at the news.

“I am very grateful that this day has finally come for the five of them. It has indeed been a very long wait,” she said.

She hoped that the government would continue to approve pending citizenship applications, especially from stateless individuals in the near future.