GERMAN-born stateless cyclist Mohd Justin Felix Nagel is now living in a container cabin after he was kicked out of his school hostel.
After having spent the past year living at the Dato Sri Amar Diraja hostel in Muar, under a sports development programme with the Johor junior team, the 15-year-old was not allowed to apply for boarding this year.
“The reason given was that I did not have a MyKad,” said Justin, who has been forced to live in a cabin at his coaches Mohd Fuad Daud’s and Mohd Firdaus Daud’s home in Jalan Daud here.
Justin said at the end of the last school term, he did not receive any application letter for lodging at the hostel.
“When I asked for the letter, I was told by the headmaster that I can’t be boarded there as I did not have a MyKad,” said Justin at the Jalan Daud training base.
The headmaster, Radi Yahaya, could not be contacted last Friday as the school was closed.
Justin had just returned to Muar after spending the Chinese New Year holidays training with the national junior squad at the National Sports Council (NSC) in Bukit Jalil.
The Johor Education Department confirmed that Justin was not offered a place at the hostel because of his citizenship status.
Its director, Shaharudin Sharif, said it had always been the policy of the Education Ministry prioritise Malaysian students for places in school hostels nationwide.
“Since Justin is not a Malaysian citizen, he was not offered a place at the school’s hostel. Moreover, in Justin’s case, I was also informed that he wanted to stay with his coach.”
Shaharudin said he had directed the Muar Education Office to look into the matter.
“If possible, we would like to meet Justin when school reopens on today. It is better for us to have a face-to-face meeting so that we can resolve any issue or misunderstanding.”
Justin’s and his mother, Hasni Samsudin’s, latest plea for citizenship came on Sept 25, last year, when they were called for an interview by the National Registration Department after his plight was highlighted by the New Straits Times.
However, Hasni said, their nine-year wait for citizenship was far from over despite Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and the Home Minister’s office providing letters of support.
Justin is based in Muar as the promising cyclist has been roped into the Johor development squad, where he has been training with for two years. But, despite the promise he has shown, his statelessness means that he can’t join the national junior squad for international competitions.
“It is already tough for Justin. Without citizenship, even treatment at government hospitals is expensive for him,” said Fuad, who has taken on the burden of caring for Justin.
Justin was born in Itzhoe, Germany, and has a younger brother, Joshua Adam, 11, who was born in Kuala Lumpur and has had no citizenship issues.
Justin’s German passport, which he had used to travel previously, expired three years ago, but he has no desire to renew it due to his intent on gaining Malaysian citizenship.