SIBU: A 20-year-old woman in Sarawak has finally received her MyKad after living her entire life stateless, ending two decades of uncertainty and limited access to basic rights.
According to
The Rakyat Post, Liu Wei Wei was born without citizenship because her mother, a Sarawak indigenous woman, had never possessed a national identity document.
As a result, Liu grew up without a MyKad, which prevented her from accessing education, healthcare and employment opportunities, as well as restricting her ability to travel.
She recalled how she would watch planes pass overhead and wonder if she would ever be able to board one, a dream that has now become possible after receiving her identity card.
Her case was eventually resolved with the assistance of the Pelawan Service Centre under Michael Tiang Ming Tee, who helped facilitate the application process.
Liu was presented with a Sarawak “K”-prefix MyKad here, which grants access to various government benefits, including education support, social welfare aid and the Sumbangan Keperluan Asas Sarawak (SKAS) scheme.
Under federal provisions, individuals aged 21 and below can apply for citizenship through a simpler process, while older applicants often face more complex procedures.
While Liu’s case has been resolved, efforts are still ongoing to help her mother obtain a MyKad, highlighting the continued issue of statelessness in Sarawak, where undocumented status can be passed from one generation to the next.
