Stateless Man Finally Granted Malaysian Citizenship After 40 Years
"I hope to start a new life and secure stable employment," said Mohd Razwil.
By Aleya Natasha Mohd Ali — 20 Nov 2024, 04:14 PM
After 40 years of being stateless, Mohd Razwil Abdullah was finally granted Malaysian citizenship after the Penang High Court approved his application on 14 November
According to Bernama, the application was granted by Penang High Court Judge Datuk Quay Chew Soon, who ordered the National Registration Department to issue a new birth certificate reflecting Malaysian citizenship for the 40-year-old.
Lawyer Habib Rahman Seeni Mohideen said his client was found as an infant in 1984 by a woman named Rohaida Abdul Rashid near a garbage bin, at Chow Kit Market, Kuala Lumpur. The baby was wrapped in a white towel, with the umbilical cord still attached.
"He was taken in and cared for by the woman until he was four years old, after which he was handed over to the Social Welfare Department and remained under their care until he was 15," Habib said at a press conference yesterday.
The lawyer explained that new information provided by Rohaida helped clarify questions about Mohd Razwil's background, enabling them to reapply for citizenship. Previous applications had been rejected due to insufficient details about his parents.
Mohd Razwil spent his entire youth in welfare homes and never knew his parents or any family members
His status as a stateless individual has deprived him of stable employment, disqualified him from free healthcare, and made him vulnerable to exploitation by employers who paid him meager wages.
"I faced difficulties learning about my life’s history because there were no records. I had to rely on social media to trace people who might know about my birth, and I finally found Puan Rohaida.
"I hope to start a new life and secure stable employment. I am grateful to Puan Rohaida and the Social Welfare Department for caring for me when I was young," said Mohd Razwil, who is now working at a restaurant.
