KLANG (March 22): About 60 people gathered at the National Registration Department (NRD) here today demanding for MyKad.
Led by PKR leaders, S Jayathas, PKR legal aid bureau chief Latheefa Koya, Kapar MP S Manikavasagam and party vice-president N Surendran, the group marched for about 10 minutes to the NRD office in Jalan Kapar this morning demanding that the applications for MyKad of those present be processed today.
They claimed that members of the group have all been trying to mapply for a MyKad repeatedly previously but have all failed due to various reasons, including lack of documentation.
"These are Malaysians, born and live here but have been denied their MyKad. They have all the right. They have asked so many times but (the authorities) didn't give...
"This is an act of discrimination for the 300,000 Indians without MyKads," said Surendran. The government has disputed the number.
The group conducted a sit-in protest at the NRD office on the second floor of the Tabung Haji building for about two hours under the watchful eyes of about 10 police officers.
There were no untoward incidents except for an argument regarding the issuing of forms when officials refused to give free forms required for the applications. A representative from NRD Selangor, Mohd Zaidi Ibrahim then arrived from Shah Alam to sort out the issue. A total of 38 applications for MyKad were submitted today.
Mohd Zaidi said that the applications will be reviewed.
Amongst the many cases, PKR leaders today highlighted the case of 16 year-old Mahaletchumy who has met Mydaftar campaign coordinator Datuk N Siva Subramaniam (an initiative of the Prime Minister's Office) but yet to receive her blue MyKad.
Mahaletchumy has been denied from representing the state in hockey because of her "statelesness". Her plight has been highlighted in the Tamil press.
Although she has applied for a MyKad several times, her applications have been rejected due to the lack of documentation regarding her parents. She however has a valid birth certificate.
The group present today hailed mostly from Banting and the surrounding area.
Speaking to fz.com, 66 year-old Indrani Narayanan said that she never really bothered applying for a MyKad even when all of her siblings and her parents had one.
"It was only when (Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib Razak announced that they will convert the red ICs to MyKad, that I appled (MyDaftar programme. But even then, there was much hassle, as they said you needed this document and that, so I never followed through," she said.
"We've waited here for two hours, who knows if we will ever get what we want."
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