Problem on mixed marriage identity rectified

Problem on mixed marriage identity rectified

Kota Kinabalu: The National Registration Department (NRD) in Sabah has rectified the problem faced by inter-marriage couples when registering their children for birth certificates.

There are ethnicity codes like Sino-Native provided in the registration form for a birth certificate, the Director Haji Abdul Jaffear Henry told Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Majimbun who paid him a visit recently.

It was earlier reported that the NRD has stopped accepting mixed parentage as a race when registering births. The matter was highlighted by Majimbun who related the ordeal of a Chinese man married to a Dusun woman.

He said the man was asked to choose either Chinese or Dusun as the race of his child, prompting him to put Dusun as his child's race although the baby took his "siang" (Chinese surname).

Until then children born out of inter-marriages were listed as, for example, Sino-Kadazan, Sino Murut, Sino-Bajau, Indo-Kadazan and so forth.

According to Majimbun his discussion with Abdul Jaffear also dwelled on the Registration of Birth and Death Ordinance of Sabah (Cap 123) 1953.

He said the Home Minister had told him during a question and answer in Parliament that the said ordinance has not been made uniform with the Registration of Birth and Death Act 1957 (Act 299).

The people in Sabah are worried about this, Majimbun told Abdul Jaffear, suggesting that the NRD Sabah under his leadership be given a bigger role to handle the problem.

The Member of Parliament said the present director stood in good stead for the task and the question now is whether past mistakes can be rectified.

Saying this vital, Majimbun, a former Kota Kinabalu District Native Chief, pointed out this is because there are village heads who make dubious declarations.