KUALA LUMPUR: Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) condemn violations against a stateless child, Darshana, who had been denied her rights to attend school due to a new policy by the Immigration department.
Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy said the organisation is calling for the revocation of the policy which deprive thousands of children from receiving education due to their status.
“It is shocking that every year, the Immigration Department is seemingly granted with a broader arbitrary power to restrict the exercise of human rights in Malaysia,” he said.
He claimed the department has reached new heights if its allowed to influence and alter an education policy, on top of the act of barring human right defenders from entering or leaving the country.
Sevan further said, on Jan 6, the Education Minister, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid was reported to have said that stateless children are to be allowed to attend public school even if their application for citizenship is under process.
“It is shocking that a mere enforcement agency was able to overrule a policy made by the Education ministry on the issue of access to school and education.
“Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Malaysia has the obligation to protect and promote the right of the child, irrespective of their status and origin.
“There is absolutely no excuse for a child born in the country and raised and cared for by Malaysian parents to be denied equal opportunity solely based on the failure of the Malaysian government in addressing the issue of statelessness in the country,” he added.
Sevan also said the Home Ministry must answer for the gross human rights violations perpetrated by the Immigration department.
Reportedly, Darshana, despite being of schooling age was not permitted to attend school due to a new policy by the Immigration department that forbids non-citizen from attending public schools.
Darshana was adopted by a couple, B. Ganesan and wife V. Malliga, when she was only a few days old.
It was listed on Darshana’s birth certificate that she is a non-citizen when the couple adopted her.
They have also submitted an application for citizenship, and the process is still pending.