MALACCA: A final throw of the dice. This is how stateless cyclist Mohd Justin Felix Nagel’s mother sees the next attempt at resolving his citizenship woes with the Registration Department next month.
Hasni Samsudin, 33, said the help of 15-year-old Justin’s father, Kai Nagel, may be needed to convince the department that a consensus had been reached for the teen to take up Malaysian citizenship.
She said for now, the family had no choice but to try easing the teen’s burden after he was booted from his school hostel in Muar.
Justin, who is under the Johor Sports Council’s high-performance sports unit’s development programme, has been based in Muar with other riders under the programme since 2015. He was allowed to stay at the Sri Amar Diraja Secondary School hostel over the past two years.
However, this year, he found himself being denied lodging, which, said the Johor Education Department, was only for Malaysian citizens.
Hasni said the family would focus on settling issues with the Registration Department in the hopes of expediting her son’s citizenship application.
“We are thinking of the next option, which is to wait for his father to come here and help settle issues with the department. Justin’s father will come here next month to complete the registration of our divorce with the Registration Department. We will ask him to settle what’s needed to ensure there are no obstacles to Justin gaining Malaysian citizenship.”
Hasni said Nagel, a German national whom she divorced in 2006, is due to be remarried, and so, must return to Malaysia to settle the divorce paperwork.
Justin, who was born in Itzhoe, Germany, had his birth registered there. He previously travelled with a German passport, which he has forfeited.
Following an application supported by Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and the Home Minister’s Office, Hasni and Justin were called for an interview with the Registration Department in September last year, after which they were told that his application was being processed. However, said Hasni, there had been indication as to whether it had been approved.
“The Registration Department requested a meeting with Justin’s father, but I told them that he was in Germany. This may be the final piece of the puzzle. If this doesn’t succeed, I am out of options. I hope there is understanding on the part of the department.”
Johor Cycling Association (JCA) secretary Anuar Noor Ali yesterday said it would try helping the teen in terms of his schooling problems.
“If his citizenship application is being processed, we can try pushing for a reprieve from the Education Department. I will look into the matter, and JCA will try assisting Justin the best it can.”