Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a forum on statelessness here today, Saraswathy said the task force should emulate the one set up in Sarawak.

She also welcomed the Malaysian Bar’s proposal to set up a committee to look into the law regarding the stateless in the peninsula.

Saraswathy said the task force’s first focus should be collecting data on Malaysia’s stateless population.

“We don’t even know who is stateless. We need to collect data. We need to fast-track (the collection of data on) those that are here,” she said.

She said Peninsular Malaysia faces specific legal challenges in addressing statelessness that require tailored approaches and are different from those in Sabah and Sarawak.

Saraswathy said the issue of statelessness must be brought to an end in five years.

“I will support initiatives to resolve this issue during Pakatan Harapan’s rule,” she said.

Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner Ragunath Kesavan criticised the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 as being regressive.

“If they deprive a child of citizenship, where will they go? Why take away their rights? This government doesn’t want to hear any objections to policies,” he said.

The bill has been opposed by civil society groups and some backbenchers, especially over the amendments on citizenship for foundlings, stateless children and vulnerable people.

The home ministry later decided to drop these amendments, but NGOs have said that glaring weaknesses remain, especially since the new citizenship law will not apply retroactively.