

Boundless Horizons | Lee Sok Wah: Humanitarian Approach to Citizenship Applications
For 31 years, Ms. Alice Lee, a seasoned lawyer, has witnessed countless cases of innocent children becoming stateless or losing their Malaysian citizenship due to the ignorance of their biological or adoptive parents regarding the law. These children have consequently lost their dreams and become marginalized victims of society. Each tragic story has only strengthened her resolve to fight for these innocent children’s rightful citizenship, giving them new hope and opportunities for a better future. Their once unattainable dreams are now within reach.
In the bustling corridors of the courthouse, a compassionate yet determined gleam shines in the eyes of a female lawyer. She faces not only the cumbersome legal documents but also the helpless and sorrowful gazes of children who have lost their way in life. Every time she sees these children’s circumstances, she feels the weighty responsibility on her shoulders, determined to use her expertise to restore their hope.
400,000 Applications Awaiting Processing
Born in 1957, Ms. Alice Lee once worked as a court and political reporter for a newspaper before studying law and becoming a practicing lawyer. Over the years, she has personally experienced the entire process and evolution of the fight for citizenship. With the estimated number of applications for Malaysian citizenship reaching around 400,000, many are from stateless children or children born in Malaysia who have lost their citizenship. These children cannot attend school, pursue higher education, or secure future employment, and can only wait silently for good news from the government.
Since the beginning of her practice, Ms. Alice Lee has handled numerous cases of people fighting for Malaysian citizenship. Initially, many cases involved elderly people who had come from China decades ago and had neglected to handle their citizenship properly. In recent years, cases of children losing their Malaysian citizenship while changing their ID cards at age 12 have surged.
Low Awareness of Citizenship Among Chinese Malaysians
In an interview with Nanyang Siang Pau, Ms. Alice Lee shared the tragic situations of these unfortunate Malaysian children. Many adoptive parents have struggled for years without being able to recover their children’s citizenship and have even been charged with criminal deception by the Malaysian government. She emphasizes the low awareness of citizenship rights in the Chinese community, attributing children’s loss of citizenship to their parents’ ignorance.
Ms. Alice Lee points out that the issue transcends education levels, as even highly educated individuals have made mistakes leading to their children’s loss of citizenship. She describes four scenarios leading to the loss of Malaysian citizenship: ignorance of the law and adoption procedures, unresolved previous marriages, and Malaysian women giving birth abroad while unmarried.
- Ignorance of the Law by Fathers: Malaysian men married to foreign women without legal registration; their children are not granted Malaysian citizenship.
- Unresolved Previous Marriages: Having children with new partners without legally resolving previous marriages, resulting in the child not receiving Malaysian citizenship.
- Illegal Adoptions: Adoption without following the legal process, leading to children not gaining citizenship.
- Children Born Abroad to Unmarried Malaysian Women: These children cannot acquire their mother’s nationality and become stateless.
Loss of Basic Human Rights Without Citizenship
Losing citizenship is a serious matter with significant implications for education, healthcare, and future employment. Non-citizens face numerous challenges, such as not receiving medical benefits and needing to pay higher fees at government hospitals. Additionally, non-citizens must reapply for school admission annually and pay higher school fees.
Ms. Alice Lee explains that children growing up in Malaysia, often raised by their Malaysian fathers, face a painful process of trying to secure their stay in the country, especially after turning 21. She stresses the importance of raising awareness and understanding of the law to protect the next generation.
Applying for Citizenship: Step-by-Step
Ms. Alice Lee advises applying for citizenship step-by-step according to different constitutional articles. For children, the Home Minister has the authority to grant citizenship under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution, and children must apply before turning 21. For those born abroad, citizenship can be sought under Article 14, provided the Malaysian parent registers the birth both abroad and in Malaysia. Elderly applicants can apply under Article 19.
Four Blood-Stained Cases
Ms. Alice Lee shares some heartbreaking cases to illustrate the struggles families endure due to lack of legal assistance, including a 12-year-old girl who resorted to self-harm after her birth certificate was confiscated, and a couple who illegally swapped their deceased child with another at birth.
Conclusion
Ms. Alice Lee’s relentless efforts and dedication to fighting for the citizenship rights of stateless and marginalized children highlight the need for legal awareness and support. Her work brings hope and opportunities to those who have been deprived of their rights, restoring their dreams and securing a better future.