In a fix over non-citizenship status of two daughters

Penampang: A 55-year-old resident here is in predicament over the non-citizenship status of his two daughters whom he adopted seven years ago.Born to Filipino parents, the girls, now aged eight and 13 are considered non-citizens despite Wong Kan Hock and his wife going through the proper process to adopt them.

"We went through the proper adoption process, we engaged a lawyer and sent an adoption application to the High Court in Sandakan who in turn gave us permission to adopt the girls," said Wong during a media conference called for by the Sabah People's Basic Rights Association President Lee Pun Yee here.

"I am puzzled why my daughters are considered non-citizens despite me having gone through the proper adoption process," he said.

He said he is worried for their future, as having a non-citizenship status would not entitle them to the privileges received by citizens.

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He further claimed that his younger daughter is still schooling, but the older one who is supposed to be in Form One this year had to stop schooling as she needs a letter from the Education Ministry to do so.

"I hope the government can help in this matter. We have applied several times to the National Registration Department but always had our application rejected," he said.

Meanwhile, Ng Khang Lei, 23, from Kg Durok, Keningau, is also faced with the same predicament.

Born to a local Sabahan father and a mother from the Philippines, Ng has had no luck in applying for citizenship status.

"I have two siblings, my elder sister, now 25, has citizenship status, because our father got her documents in proper order before he passed away when I was 12.

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"That has left me and my younger sister, now 19, without citizenship status. Our mother returned to the Philippines when our father died, leaving me and my siblings under the care of our step sister," he claimed.

"It is difficult to be born and raised in a land where you are considered a non-citizen, but we have nowhere to go because this is our home, we hope the government can help us," he said. - Sherell Jeffrey

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