John Dismas, 65, is born and bred in Sabah of native-Australian parentage but till today he is not a Malaysian.
KUALA PENYU: “Newly-arrived illegal immigrants from the Philippines and Indonesia can easily get Malaysian citizenship, but why can’t I get it after 65 years?” asks John Dismas, a man who has lived in Sabah all his life.The 65-year-old who was born in Kuala Penyu a year after Second World War, ended is perplexed by his situation. His mother was a Dusun Tatana and he speaks the dialect fluently, while his father was an Australian soldier who abandoned the family soon after the war.
He says he has applied for Malaysian citizenship several times and even went to Putrajaya to take up his case with the relevant authority.
Dismas has never been outside Sabah since birth in 1946 at Kampung Bundu here till recently when he went to the national capital to get some answers to his quandary.
His case is indeed perplexing given that the law states that all those born in the colony of North Borneo prior to it gaining independence and helping form Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963, are automatically deemed Sabahans and Malaysians.
According to Dismas, his mother died and was buried here when he was only three and his father who was serving in the Allied Army’s Ninth Division in Labuan during the Second World War, left them for Australia after the war and has never been heard of since.
Dismas, who is married to a local and had six children (one died recently), is saddened and hurt by his treatment at the hands of the federal government for so long.
“I still hold a red MyKad, but look at the illegal immigrants: they come today and by next week some of them already have a blue MyKad, are being registered as voters and enjoy all the benefits as citizens and even as Bumiputera. This is outrageous.
Frustrated Dismas
Dismas’ case was highlighted by a local State Reform Party (STAR) leader, Alexander Sintin, in his welcoming speech at the launching of STAR’s Beaufort division, which consisted of Kuala Penyu and Klias state constituencies here recently.
When met by FMT, Dismas was both embarrassed and frustrated as he pulled out his red MyKad and talked about his predicament.
“I don’t know why I can’t get a blue MyKad when I have been living here all my life. Luckily my children were given blue MyKads,” he said.
“I have gone to Putrajaya. I am old now, but they asked me to produce my parents’ marriage and death certificates. Where on earth can I get these documents?” he asked.
JOHN DISMAS'S PLIGHT IS THE PLIGHT OF SABAH SARAWAK
ReplyDeleteA man born and bred in Sabah is denied citizenship rights for 65 years. He was here before Malaysia 1963 when we were forced into the Malaysia federation.
Sabah and Sarawak both symbolically share the fate of John.
1. On 16 Sept 1963 Sabah Sarawak lost their right to national independence and self rule and became re-colonized under "Malaysia".
Sabah gained independence for 2 weeks from 31 August 1963. Sarawak re-gained its independence on 21 July 1963. This second colony was an independent state from 1842 to 1942 and was recognized by the USA from 1850 and Britain from 1863. So Sarawak had 100 years of independence until Japanese occupation in 1942 and the British colonial rule in 1946 and Malayan colonial rule in 1963.
2. UMNO Malay supremacist installation of an Asian apartheid system and Islamization has been in place 1969. This again denies the Sabah Sarawak people of their basic human rights to a free and democratic political and social economic system, education and religious freedom.
3. The NEP since 1969 was used to implement the apartheid system which became a patronage system of rampant abuse of power and corruption by the misappropriation and abuse of the system to financially benefit UMNO MCA and MIC and local variants in Sabah and Sarawak proxies and cronies.
4. The people have been denied their economic rights of control over their petroleum resources and NCR lands which have been pillaged and stripped to develop Malaya and enrich the UMNO ruling clique and cronies.
5. The people of Sabah and Sarawak are being disenfranchised by the UMNO transmigration plan to flood the 2 colonies with illegal Muslims instant Mykad migrants. This is designed to outnumber the local population and allow UMNO to be voted and remain in power.
6. The Malayan occupation of Sabah and Sarawak is illegal as the Malaysia concept and Malaysia Agreement have been broken by UMNO in the sacking of Singapore and not binding on the colonies. The fact that Brunei opted not be in the Malaysia Federation also dismantled the original Malaysia concept of "racial balance"...
7. The racial balance argument was corner stone of the rationale for Malaysia. This also has been broken by Malaya as it deliberately increase the Muslim population to outnumber other races.
The dismal treatment of John Dismas is a national disgrace as UMNO BN readily grant Mykads to recent illegal migrants without any issue. Perhaps John is a Christian?
At the same time John's dilemma is faced by many thousands of stateless people in Sabah an Sarawak.
DID WE BECOME PART OF MALAYSIA TO DESERVE THIS POINTLESS DISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT?
We must realise that only when we achieve genuine independence from Malayan colonial rule can we be free to determine our own destiny.
On independence day many people like John Dismas must be declared citizens of our country Sabah/Sarawak!
SABAH SARAWAK KELUAR MALAYSIA!
HIDUP SABAH SARAWAK INDEPENDENCE!
We should all unite under UBA.
ReplyDeleteHow can Australian soldier screwed around and left behind their next-of-kin may happen to PTI with local kampung native women.
ReplyDeleteDismas should appeal to Australia through Pairin and go to father's place.Better still now!
HOW ABOUT SENDING ALL ILLEGALS TO MALAYA & UMNO STOP SCREWING US ALL AROUND EVERY WHICH WAY & DE-COLONIZE SABAH FOR INDEPENDENCE?
DeleteHOW ABOUT LESS SELF ABUSE & SOME GUTS IN FIGHTING FOR OUR INDEPENDENCE RIGHTS & GET RID OF MALAYAN COLONIAL RULE?
Well so far we can only wish the authority will look into his case.
ReplyDeleteHe isn’t getting any younger, something has to be done at least he has a right if truly his mother is from Sabah.
ReplyDeleteKera di hutan disusukan, anak di rumah mati kelaparan.
DeleteHe can as well seek for appeal in his father’s place (Australia).
ReplyDeleteI hope something is done about his case.
ReplyDeleteI presume there are other people like him in Sabah and Sarawak
ReplyDeletejika dia mmg anak asal sabah, seharusnya mykad dia tak ada masalah.
ReplyDeleteKesilapan tu perlu diperbetulkan.
ReplyDeleteWhy own people have to suffer whilst the PATI can have the privilege?
ReplyDeleteHal ini harus dipandang serius kerana hal ini akan membantu mereka yang belum lagi mendapat mykad walaupun mereka layak.
ReplyDeletePihak yang bertanggungjwab harus melakukan sesuatu agar tidak ada lagi kes sebegini akan berlaku di masa2 akan datang.
ReplyDeleteHarap beliau mendapat dokumen kerakyatan dengan segera.
ReplyDeleteJPN must investigate this problem. how come this can be happen??
ReplyDeletekalau si John Dismas ada pegang MyKad warganegara tulen sabah hari ini, mesti kena cakap IC projek.. tapi memandangkan beliau masih belum ada MyKad dan kebetulan sikap hipokrit pembangkang sentiasa mencari isu.. maka beliau tidak perlu risau kerana hasrat beliau untuk menjadi warganegara Sabah akan diperjuangkan oleh pembangkang..
ReplyDeletekenapa STAR tidak selidik betul2 latarbelakang si John Dismas?? apa bukti dia lahir di Sabah??
ReplyDelete