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Rectify status anomaly in IDs errors, NRD told

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Tan Sri Datuk Amar James Masing

KUCHING: The National Registration Department (NRD) is urged to make the necessary amendment promptly of errors in categorising the religious status of an individual on his/her identity card (IC).

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing noted that a few ethic groups in Sarawak use the term ‘binti’ or ‘bin’ instead of ‘anak’ in their names.

“The uses of ‘binti’ or ‘bin’ do not and should not categorise them simply as Muslim.

“NRD must understand this. If NRD wrongly categorise them as Muslim when they are not, then the department must amend such error quickly without any fuss,” he said today.

Masing was responding to Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Sarawak commissioner Datuk Dr Madeline Berma’s statement on the complaints received from the indigenous communities who wanted to change the religious status on their new IC.

“I am pleased to note that Dr Madeline brought this issue up. And it is my hope that the relevant authorities take note of this,” he said.

Dr Madeline in a statement said that non-Muslim applicants who never professed and practised Islam were administratively converted to Islam and officially stated in their new IC due to the individuals having ‘bin’ or ‘binti’ in their IC.

“Those affected have faced delays and bureaucratic red tapes in their efforts to apply for the correction of such errors or make changes in their IC,” she said.

She added there were cases where children had to attend Islamic religious classes at primary and secondary schools when in reality they had never practise Islamic teachings from an early age.

“This normally occurred after divorce between couples who were converted and professed Islam for marriage purposes. The children born out of such marriages were registered as Muslim, and when the marriage fails, the converted spouse opted out and requested for a change in their religious status on the IC including their children’s.

“As such the children would become victims when it comes to situation like this,” she said.

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