Cover image via Kuan Chee Heng (Facebook)
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A 25-year-old man who was born in Malaysia but remained stateless his entire life died in a road accident in Selangor recently, and his mother is now facing bureaucratic hurdles to claim his body
Social activist Kuan Chee Heng, better known as Uncle Kentang, highlighted the case on Facebook yesterday, 30 September, saying it reflects the ongoing struggles of stateless children in Malaysia.
According to Kuan, the man's father was Malaysian while his mother is Thai. However, because the couple never registered their marriage, he and his two younger brothers were never granted Malaysian citizenship.
"The best place for him now is heaven. At least God will recognise him when the country of his birth won't," Kuan wrote.
Kuan described him as a Bomba Sukarela (volunteer firefighter) and a "great guy" who had stood by his team through "thick and thin"
The activist said he intends to pursue citizenship for the deceased man's two younger brothers to ensure they do not suffer the same fate.
In an interview with China Press, Kuan explained that the man's father had passed away earlier. Following the accident, his Thai mother returned from Thailand to claim the body.
However, as he held neither Malaysian nor Thai citizenship, the process has been delayed. His remains are currently kept at the Serdang Hospital mortuary while authorities work to resolve the issue.
Kuan said he has encountered similar cases before, noting that it previously took two to three weeks to sort out the paperwork.
