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Joseph, who is 78 this year, shows his red IC.
MIRI (July 22): Two former Border Scouts from Lawas who served during the Indonesian Confrontation between 1963 and 1966, know that time is not on their side in their decades-long quest to be granted Malaysian citizenship.
More than 60 years after serving the then newly-established nation, Basar Arun and Joseph Pengiran hope they do not die as ‘stateless’ individuals like their two former comrades, Basar Paru and Kedimus Liling.
Basar Paru died on Aug 25, 2022 at the age of 92, while Kedimus, 79, passed away about one month ago due to cancer.
All four are/were holders of the red identity card (IC), denoting them as permanent residents and not citizens.
Basar Arun with his red IC and a printout of the medals awarded to him for his service. The former Border Scout knows that time is not on his side in his citizenship quest.
Basar Arun, now 84, told The Borneo Post that his dream to be granted Malaysian citizenship has never changed, even after more than half a century of waiting.
“It’s been a very long wait for me. I went to the National Registration Department (JPN) in Lawas numerous times, did many interviews with the officers, submitted multiple documents and filled up many forms over the years, but until this day, I am still holding the red IC.
“In fact, I received a call from an officer at JPN Putrajaya on July 9 asking me to submit documents for my citizenship application. I went to JPN Lawas on July 14 to submit the documents they requested,” he said in a telephone interview.
Basar Arun said because of his status and the revocation of his wife’s citizenship, all four of his children who were born in Miri were only granted temporary resident status.
And because of this, his children have been unable to secure good jobs, leaving the family continuing to suffer financially.
(From left) Joseph, the late Basar Paru and the late Kedimus show their red IC during an interview with The Borneo Post in 2020. The latter two passed away as stateless persons.
“My wife Sarlin Rining was initially granted citizenship a few years ago but not long after that, JPN took back her IC,” he claimed, without elaborating.
Meanwhile, Joseph’s son Daud, 47, said he had been making many trips to JPN Lawas over the past years to help his father fill up forms but till this day, they have yet to receive any good news.
He said he was called to JPN Lawas in May this year and submitted – yet again – documents to support his father’s citizenship application.
“Then a few weeks ago, I received a call from Kuching (JPN) who asked me to email them the documents as some of the documents that I had sent by hand to JPN Lawas were apparently lost.
“I told them, ‘I am illiterate, I don’t know what an email is or how to send one’. So I’ve not emailed them anything.”
Daud said it had crossed his mind to just drop the matter and give up hope of ever seeing his father granted citizenship.
“But when I think about my own situation and when I am old and in need of medical services, I realise that I have to continue helping my father get his citizenship.”
Both Basar Arun and Joseph remain hopeful that the government would not delay the approval of their citizenship seeing as age has caught up with them.
“I am already in my 80s, I do not have much time left. All I hope now is for the government to at least acknowledge our past services and grant us citizenship,” Basar Arun said.
Three other former Border Scouts who have been granted Malaysian citizenship are Tabed Raru, Baranabas @ Branabas Palong, and Sia Lupang @ Sia Lopong.
English (US) ·