Riana Mae Christopher Bakar, 19, who wants to be a lawyer, has turned to the media to highlight her plight.
She said although her father is local, her mother is a Filipina. As a result, her birth certificate was stamped “Bukan Warganegara”, or non-citizen.
To add to her dilemma, her parents failed to register their marriage before she was born.
“Since I was 12, I have been trying to get an identity card, but my three applications were not approved,” she lamented.
Riana is among probably thousands of children born “stateless” because one of their parents happened to be a foreigner.
Meanwhile, Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation president Noorazman Mohd Samsuddin said the relevant parties should find a new approach to fix the problem.
“This issue should be duly resolved so that it will not spill over to the next generation. It is not fair to punish these children because of their parents’ mistake or negligence.”
Expressing similar views, Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association leader Nadzim Johan hoped the relevant parties would review the existing law to minimise the red tape involved.
“Non-governmental organisations are prepared to assist the relevant parties in finding a solution to this perennial issue.”