KOTA BELUD: About 600 residents benefited from the Phase 4 Mobile Court Programme held at the Tempasuk State constituency service centre on Saturday.
Tempasuk Assemblyman Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari said the turnout reflected the importance of the programme to rural residents facing difficulties obtaining identity documents due to distance and financial constraints in accessing government services.
He said many Sabahans, particularly those in rural areas such as Kota Belud, continued to face documentation issues that affected their access to education, healthcare and government assistance.
“Every citizen deserves access to government services and the justice system without barriers, including those living in rural areas.
“The number of people who attended today demonstrates the significance of this programme to the people of Kota Belud,” he said in a statement, Saturday.
Arsad said most of those who sought assistance were facing issues related to late birth registration.
Among the contributing factors were unregistered or irregular marriages, logistical difficulties in obtaining birth verification documents for home births, and a lack of awareness of identification laws in the past.
He said some residents had difficulties travelling to hospitals to obtain early birth confirmation documents, particularly in cases involving home births, which were estimated to account for between 10 and 20 per cent of the cases.
He added that there were also cases involving marriages that were not properly registered, either through the religious authorities for Muslims or without complete customary verification for non-Muslims, including mixed marriages.
“Some local residents have reached the age of 19 or 20 but still do not possess valid identity documents due to a lack of awareness of identification laws previously,” he said.
Arsad also hoped that the Syariah Court would participate in future programmes to help resolve issues involving unregistered marriages that affect Muslim children’s ability to obtain birth certificates.
“In the context of the Muslim community, the role of the Syariah Court is important because unregistered marriages with the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAINS) often affect the ability of Muslim children to obtain birth certificates,” he said.
The programme involved several agencies, including the National Registration Department (NRD), Native Court, JHEAINS, Sabah Law Society, Kota Belud Health Department and the Royal Malaysia Police.
Services provided included endorsement of late birth registration certificates, statutory declarations and Commissioner for Oaths services, as well as legal advice.
