Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) has urged the Federal Government to revise its green temporary residency (MyKAS) policy, warning that strict requirements are leaving many stateless individuals in Sabah without legal identity despite clear ties to the country.
MHS Sabah coordinator Capt (R) Jerry Jaimeh said the matter should be resolved at the federal level, not left to the State.
He said the existing MyKAS mechanism under the National Registration Department should be improved rather than replaced.
“The document already exists, but the conditions are too restrictive. Many who should qualify are excluded because of technicalities,” he told a press conference here, Thursday,
Jerry said rigid birth certificate requirements have led to families being split across different legal statuses, with some members holding citizenship while others remain undocumented.
He cited the case of “Andi”, whose family held IMM13 documents. While an elder sibling later obtained a blue identity card, his second son was left undocumented after IMM13 issuance was frozen in 2013, and was ultimately rejected years later despite earlier assurances after visiting Putrajaya.
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In another case, only two out of seven siblings obtained IMM13 status, while the rest later gained citizenship after their mother’s status was upgraded, leaving the two ineligible under current MyKAS rules.
Jerry also highlighted cases where individuals lost their temporary status after authorities later identified a parent, rendering them stateless again.
“Even goods in a supermarket have barcodes and identities. Why can’t a human being have one?” he said.
He warned the issue could lead to long-term social problems, including crime, as stateless individuals are often denied education, exploited at work and lack legal protection.
“In 10 to 20 years, you will have a generation without education or opportunities. That is when social problems, including crime, will emerge and Sabahans will bear the consequences,” he said.
Jerry added that enforcement alone is ineffective as many cannot be deported because no country recognises them.
“You can detain them, but you cannot send them back. They are born here, with no connection to any other country,” he said.
He said regularising the group would reduce labour exploitation and benefit the economy, instead of relying heavily on foreign workers.
Jerry estimates the stateless population could grow by another one million in the next generation, on top of an estimated two million already in Sabah, and said MHO will submit a memorandum to Putrajaya seeking urgent policy reform.
“If nothing changes, this problem will not disappear. It will only be inherited by the next generation,” he said.
