IMAGINE! Forced to live as Mr 'No Name' for 40 years - Sabah RCI told
A man who was born in Tawau, Sabah, said he had lived with his
name registered ‘No Name’ for almost 40 years, the royal commission of
inquiry on immigrants in Sabah heard today.
Mahat Ismail, 65, said he has had to live with the name after an officer at the hospital where he was born filled in his name in his birth certificate as ‘No Name’.
“I asked my father, who was working at that hospital, why did my birth certificate say that I am ‘No Name’?
“He explained that on that day, he was busy working, running up and down at the hospital, so he forgot to register my name.
“So the registrar just filled in my name as ‘No Name’, and when my father collected the birth certificate he was surprised to find that my name was ‘No Name’,” Mahat testified at the Kota Kinabalu court complex, as those in the room burst into laughter.
As a result, Mahat said it was only until the 1980s that he was able to finally rectify his name to the one that he has been using.
Before this, political parties had raised questions over voters with 'no name' as their names, as to whether they were dubious voters.
Mahat said a letter acknowledging the correction was subsequently issued to him and he was finally able to apply for a passport.
‘Common happening’
At this, RCI commissioner Herman Luping concurred that is was a common occurrence in Sabah.
“I know a man who had his name in the birth certificate written as ‘No Name’ and he is now a prominent politician, and also a woman, who has passed away, also had such a name,” Luping said.
Conducting officer Jamil Aripin (left) later explained that if Sabah were to do a full recall of identity cards, genuine citizens who hold such ‘no name’ birth certificates would have a hard time proving their citizenship.
Similarly, Jamil said, many citizens of the older generation do not have birth certificates to prove their citizenship as their births were not registered in the old days.
Mahat, whose Suluk ancestors had lived in Sabah for a few generations, said he was in school until Form 5 and could speak English but could only manage “broken Suluk”.
However, he said, the intrusion into Lahad Datu by the Suluk from the Philippines, also known as Tausug in that country, has hurt Suluk Sabahans.
“Now the Suluk don’t even dare to speak Suluk, they have been stamped as ‘terrorists’,” he said.
Mahat added that those who had facilitated immigrants to illegally obtain citizenship should also be charged with treason and have their properties confiscated.
“In other countries, they would have been killed,” he said.
Mahat Ismail, 65, said he has had to live with the name after an officer at the hospital where he was born filled in his name in his birth certificate as ‘No Name’.
“I asked my father, who was working at that hospital, why did my birth certificate say that I am ‘No Name’?
“He explained that on that day, he was busy working, running up and down at the hospital, so he forgot to register my name.
“So the registrar just filled in my name as ‘No Name’, and when my father collected the birth certificate he was surprised to find that my name was ‘No Name’,” Mahat testified at the Kota Kinabalu court complex, as those in the room burst into laughter.
As a result, Mahat said it was only until the 1980s that he was able to finally rectify his name to the one that he has been using.
Before this, political parties had raised questions over voters with 'no name' as their names, as to whether they were dubious voters.
Mahat said a letter acknowledging the correction was subsequently issued to him and he was finally able to apply for a passport.
‘Common happening’
At this, RCI commissioner Herman Luping concurred that is was a common occurrence in Sabah.
“I know a man who had his name in the birth certificate written as ‘No Name’ and he is now a prominent politician, and also a woman, who has passed away, also had such a name,” Luping said.
Conducting officer Jamil Aripin (left) later explained that if Sabah were to do a full recall of identity cards, genuine citizens who hold such ‘no name’ birth certificates would have a hard time proving their citizenship.
Similarly, Jamil said, many citizens of the older generation do not have birth certificates to prove their citizenship as their births were not registered in the old days.
Mahat, whose Suluk ancestors had lived in Sabah for a few generations, said he was in school until Form 5 and could speak English but could only manage “broken Suluk”.
However, he said, the intrusion into Lahad Datu by the Suluk from the Philippines, also known as Tausug in that country, has hurt Suluk Sabahans.
“Now the Suluk don’t even dare to speak Suluk, they have been stamped as ‘terrorists’,” he said.
Mahat added that those who had facilitated immigrants to illegally obtain citizenship should also be charged with treason and have their properties confiscated.
“In other countries, they would have been killed,” he said.
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