A 64-year-old Malaysian living without a MyKad or Identity Card for more than 40 years is ecstatic to finally secure the document from the National Registration Department (JPN) yesterday (29 July 2022). The senior citizen, R. Alliamah personally received her MyKad from JPN director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh in a ceremony at the Penang JPN yesterday.
As reported by national news agency Bernama, the mother of seven from Liberty Wood Estate, Kulim in Kedah has been living without the citizenship document due to her family home being razed along with all personal documents after her birth. Alliamah, who is the fourth of seven siblings said that she was the only one in the family not to possess an identity document while the rest had their birth certificates and also MyKad.
She asserted,
“When I was a child, there was a fire at home which destroyed all the important documents needed to register my birth at that time, making it difficult for me since I was a child,”
“At the age of 64, I have finally obtained a MyKad today. Thank you to all the parties involved, especially JPN for helping me. I am finally a Malaysian and can register to vote in the general election,”
Alliamah’s son Mohd Faizal Abdullah, 45 and his late father S. Sahar Segaran had previously tried all possible avenues to secure a MyKad for Alliamah. In fact, the family had compiled the relevant documents but all were lost in a flood when they were living in Kedah at the time.
The family then met with various parties for assistance, including multiple political party representatives, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and others but still failed because they weren’t the right channel for application. Furthermore, the family had also been cheated by agents who claimed to be able to get a MyKad for Alliamah.
Finally, the family met with JPN officials in December 2021 to again apply for a MyKad and after six months, they have finally succeeded in obtaining it.
Alliamah’s son commented,
“My mother has gone through thick and think without a MyKad despite being born a Malaysian citizen. She also had a hard time raising us without it. We would like to thank the JPN staff who made it a breeze for us and helped my mother get her MyKad.”
What do you guys think of the struggles of Alliamah to get her MyKad? Do you know anyone who has been in a similar situation? Share your thoughts and stories with us in the comments!
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