KUANTAN: The Home Ministry will conduct a detailed investigation into Rohana Abdullah's application to help her obtain a Malaysian citizenship.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said granting her citizenship has to be done accordingly and cannot be arbitrarily offered.
"To gain citizenship, one must have the required documents. We cannot simply award them (citizenship) as there are a lot of similar cases like the one faced by Rohana... there is a huge number of cases throughout the country.
"In this matter, let us investigate and provide the necessary assistance. I was told that Rohana's father is a Malaysian so if there are documents (to prove it) then the process to award her citizenship will be much easier," he told reporters after handing seven units of Whaly boats of various sizes worth RM267,000 to the police at the Galing General Operations Force (PGA) Camp here today.
It was previously reported that Rohana, 22, was abandoned by her Indonesian mother and had been raised by Chee Hoi Lan, 83, who was a kindergarten teacher where Rohana's mother once worked as a cleaner.
Rohana was reportedly forced to drop out of school because she did not have identification documents, and had experienced anxiety due to the problems.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob gave his commitment saying his officer would contact the National Registration Department to assist with Rohana's documentation.
Meanwhile, Hamzah said the Home Ministry has ordered 50 units of the Whaly boats worth RM3.05 million from the Netherlands to be deployed by the police department in case of major floods in future.
"We received seven units today and the remaining 43 units will be delivered within the next 10 weeks. The boats which consist of various sizes, engine horsepower and capacity will be sent to flood prone states.
"The new assets are among the measures taken to ensure the police is prepared at all times, especially following the recent unprecedented floods in several states. We will provide the necessary training for our men to handle the boats," he said, adding the boats were made from high-grade polyethylene and were indestructible.
When asked on the arrival of the boats since the monsoon season was nearing its tail-end, Hamzah said the boats were not solely for rescue operations during the floods but to allow policemen to enter villages to inform people to evacuate during a disaster.
"Police have assets but it is still insufficient...we might need the boats to enter villages and alert the residents during the floods. Do not misunderstand as the main rescue agencies during a disaster includes the Fire and Rescue department while the police are among the frontliners providing assistance," he said.