Fatimah: Home Ministry greenlights Special Committee for Citizenship monthly meetings to facilitate applications

SIBU (Aug 4): The Special Committee for Citizenship in Sarawak received the greenlight from the Home Ministry to hold its monthly meeting to speed up application waiting time, said Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.

The Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development said she received consent from Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail during a courtesy call on the latter in Putrajaya on July 29.

The special committee is co-chaired by Fatimah and Saifuddin.

“The minister has agreed to allow me to hold a monthly meeting with the committee members and the National Registration Department (NRD).

“He agreed for the committee, through its monthly meeting, to do verification for citizenship applications before the related documents are submitted to Putrajaya together with recommendations on which applications to be approved or otherwise.

“He also said the next committee meeting will be held in Kuching on Aug 16. We will know the number of citizenship applications received so far after the meeting,” she told reporters when met after officiating the opening of the Destiny for Children Association (DFC) Sibu’s new centre at Lorong Chew Siik Hiong 5 here today.

According to her, the monthly meeting will facilitate and cut short the waiting time for citizenship applications.

“We will be able to do monitoring through our monthly meeting. Personally, I think this will help each applicant ensure they submit a complete application.

“Hopefully with the frequency of monthly meetings, we will be able to help as many applicants as possible,” she said.

In her speech earlier, Fatimah commended DFC committee members, donors and volunteers for their commitment, dedication and teamwork to sustaining the non-governmental organisation (NGO) financially.

DFC has been providing free classes and education for stateless children who are not able to attend national schools for the past 10 years.

Currently, a total of 123 students aged between six and 17 follow classes running from Monday to Friday at DFC.

Fatimah also said she would recommend DFC as a nominee under the NGO category for one of the awards to be presented during the state-level International Women’s Day 2024 celebration.

She said Sibu will host this year’s celebration with its theme ‘Sarawak Women in Innovation and Technology’.

“It will be a recognition for DFC contribution,” she said.

Among those present were DFC president Grace Yii, DFC principal Pauline Rogers Jaban, Senator Robert Lau, Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng, Sibu MP Oscar Ling, a political secretary to Sarawak Premier Joshua Ting, Sibu Divisional Health Officer Dr Teh Jo Hun and Bawang Assan assemblyman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh.