SUPP Piasau helps nine in Miri obtain Malaysian citizenship

MIRI (Feb 9): Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Piasau branch has helped nine individuals in Miri, including a pair of twin boys, obtain Malaysian citizenship through successful applications, lifting them out of statelessness.

Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting said the party facilitated follow-ups with Putrajaya on their citizenship applications after receiving requests for assistance.

“It has been a long and challenging journey for this batch, as they had applied between one and three times to the National Registration Department, with one case dating back to 2014.

“I am very happy and would like to thank Putrajaya for approving their Malaysian citizenship applications,” said Ting, who is also the state Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, at a presentation ceremony held at the branch office on Monday.

The citizenship approvals for the group of nine were granted between 2023 and 2025. They later visited the SUPP office to thank Ting and the SUPP Piasau branch for the support and assistance rendered.

“I am so grateful to Datuk Sebastian for the help that enabled my son Steven Philip’s application to finally be approved since it was first submitted in 2019.

“My son had to leave school after Primary Six due to the financial burden of him being classified as a ‘stateless person’, and he is 18 now,” said one parent.

The longest application in this group took 10 years, while another applicant had to apply three times. Among the successful applicants were twin boys Timothy and Titus Thong.

Ting said there are more applications that SUPP Piasau has helped to facilitate which are still pending approval by the Home Ministry.

He said gaining Malaysian citizenship allows individuals rightful access to education, medical care, employment, a Malaysian identity card and travel documents, which are otherwise out of reach if they remain stateless.

“Don’t give up hope. Our door is always open. Come and see us and we will do what we can to help. SUPP is there for you and we will continue to follow up with the federal government,” he said.