Tuesday, September 30, 2008

TUESDAY-30 SEPTEMBER 2008- HOPE AFTER ALL FOR WOMAN WHO LOST STATUS


Hope after all for woman who lost status


KOTA KINABALU:


There may be hope for Yong Lee Hua @ Piang Lee to regain her “lost” citizenship status. The National Registration Department confirmed they are aware of the problem faced by the 78-year- old woman who claimed to have lost her status after losing her MyKad in February last year. According to Jainisah MohdNoor, the Public Relations Officer for the NRD Director General, the department would be investigating the case which came to light after Yong lodged a complaint with Moyog Assemblyman Donald Mojuntin, who also heads the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation’s Citizenship and Security Bureau. “The NRD has made a thorough check through her (Yong) records and there were doubts arising on the issuance of her previous identity card in 1996,” said Jainisah in a statement, recently. Jainisah also confirmed the NRD Office here would probe deeper into the problem and contact Yong to find a solution. Yong who was born and raised in Sabah is no longer recognised as a Malaysian citizen after losing her MyKad to a pickpocket last year. The Department then replaced her lost MyKad with a red identity card which is issued for permanent residents. She is now unable to withdraw money from her bank or Amanah Saham Nasional accounts, transfer land to her children or renew her passport to travel. Yong, of Sino-Kadazan parentage, had appealed to the NRD for a MyKad but was told to apply for citizenship instead. She obliged, although not quite understanding why she had to when she was already a citizen. Penampang Umno Chief, Datuk John Ambrose Dumpanggol, urged politicians to be calm and refrain from using the issue on the loss of citizenship to threaten Barisan Nasional. “Donald (Mojuntin) has given the assurance to help fmd a solution to the problem, but some other UPKO leaders are sensationalising the issue, some even wanted to use it to review the Party’s position in BN ... they had reacted as though threatening the Coalition,” he said.

No comments: