Day: April 4, 2018

MP shocked 12,600 stateless just because parents’ marriage not registered

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Source: Free Malaysia Today


KUALA LUMPUR: Padang Serai MP N Surendran today expressed shock that 12,667 children are stateless simply because their parents’ marriage was not registered.

Calling it a “national crisis”, he said the denial of citizenship to these children whose fathers were Malaysian citizens was a violation of the Federal Constitution.

He also urged Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the government to take urgent steps to address the situation.

Surendran said he had asked Zahid in the Dewan Rakyat to disclose the number of children in Malaysia whose father was a citizen and whose mother was a foreigner, and who had been denied citizenship on grounds that the parents’ marriage was not registered.

“Zahid said that based on records of the NRD (National Registration Department) as of Feb 25, 2018, there were 12,667 children denied citizenship on grounds that their parents’ marriage was not registered.

“This figure of 12,667 is based on NRD records only. The real figure is bound to be much higher.” Read more →

Redelineation: Selangor to go to apex court despite impending GE14

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Source: Free Malaysia Today

State government tells lawyers to file application to obtain leave to challenge the Election Commission in the Federal Court, but the legal battle could be scuttled if BN recaptures Selangor.

Election Commission’s redelineation report 2018. Pic from FMT News.

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor government will file an appeal in the Federal Court to challenge the Election Commission’s (EC) exercise in redrawing electoral boundaries despite the possibility of the 14th general election (GE14) being held in a month or two.

Lawyer Latheefa Koya said the state had given the nod to file the legal papers to obtain leave to appeal in the Federal Court by the end of the month.

“We have been given the green light to file the leave application and will submit the legal questions in order for the apex court to grant approval to hear the merit of the case,” she told FMT. Read more →

Return my artworks, Zunar tells cops

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Source: Free Malaysia Today

Cartoonist Zunar (left) and his lawyer Cecil Rajendra at the press conference today. Pic from FMT News.

GEORGE TOWN: Cartoonist Zunar has issued a notice of demand to the police over the seizure of his caricatures at an exhibition in Komtar here in November 2016.

Lawyer Cecil Rajendra issued the notice of demand, dated March 26, on behalf of Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee Anwarul Haque, to the senior investigating officer of the Northeast district police’s Criminal Investigation Department.

Rajendra said Zunar had an exhibition of his work at the George Town Literary Festival 2016 on Nov 26, 2016, when police, without just cause or reason, raided his exhibition at the ICT mall in Komtar, Penang.

“They unlawfully seized 10 panels of his 20 valuable art works. Our client also informs us that he was forcibly detained in conjunction with the said raid.

“As a result of the police action, our client was deprived of his right to livelihood and his reputation severely tarnished,” he said in a press conference today. Also present with him was Zunar.

He said it had been over 14 months since the seizure and detention, and police have offered no explanation or justification for their high-handed action. Read more →