Stateless children with a M’sian parent can attend govt schools

KUALA LUMPUR: Undocumented children are now allowed to enrol in national schools as long as one of their parents is a Malaysian citizen.

Affirming this yesterday, Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said the parent must submit a confirmation letter or a certificate approved by the village chief to prove that his or her child is a Malaysian citizen.

“The parent or guardian of these children must work hard to compile the required identification documents,” Maszlee said when replying to a question from Kalabakan MP Ma’mun Sulaiman at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

In light of the recently-announced ‘Undocumented Children Can Enter Schools 2019’ initiative, Maszlee gave his assurance that the initiative would not affect the current opportunities and facilities enjoyed by the local children throughout the country.

“The ministry is responsible for providing an education infrastructure that is adequate in fulfilling the needs of the students of government schools.

“As of now, the ministry is actively conducting engagement sessions and discussions with the various government agencies, including the National Registration Department and the Immigration Department.

Maszlee explained that he would also be engaging with the Immigration Departments of Sabah, Sarawak and the other states to get more feedback on the said initiative.

He said that his ministry expects to obtain more information on the issue of education access among the undocumented children in the affected states.