Long Ikang youth finally gets citizenship after nearly 8-year wait

MIRI (Dec 19): After waiting nearly eight years for a reply regarding his application for citizenship, Francis Imannuel finally received the good news that he had been praying for.

The Long Ikang youth, who turned 22 in March this year, said he was overjoyed when he recently received a letter from the Home Ministry stating that his citizenship application has been approved.

“Thank God, I am overwhelmed. Thank you to The Borneo Post as well for highlighting my plight in the news,” Francis said in a text message to The Borneo Post recently.

In the letter to Francis which was sighted by The Borneo Post, the Home Ministry stated that his citizenship application under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution has been approved.

Francis was 13 when he submitted an application for Malaysian citizenship under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution.

Francis was born on March 22, 2001 at Miri Hospital to Malaysian Immanuel Daud@Immanuel Lah Daud and Indonesian Margeretta Sukang.

Francis is the youngest of the couple’s four children. All of his siblings had are Malaysian citizens except for him.

The youth faced uncertainty over his future as he was unable to further his tertiary education as his citizenship application was still being processed.

Francis’s story made rounds in the news and social media last year after his plight was highlighted in the news.

Deputy for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts I Datuk Sebastian Ting, in response to the article, had offered to assist by writing a supporting letter to the Home Ministry.