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‘Always afraid’: Stateless and without an IC in the big city

Thinesh lives in constant fear that she will be apprehended by the police and asked questions to which she has no answers.

Danisyah Dalily
3 minute read
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Thinesh, a young stateless woman, tidies some files at an office in Kelana Jaya where she works as a receptionist.
Thinesh, a young stateless woman, tidies some files at an office in Kelana Jaya where she works as a receptionist.

Twenty-year-old Thinesh spends her days working as a receptionist at the office of a non-profit organisation in Kelana Jaya, Selangor.

She smiles as she greets visitors at the front desk, answering phone calls and tending to those with questions.

In the office, she is confident and poised, sure of herself and of the work she does.

Outside the office, though, life is very different.

Although the confident veneer continues, Thinesh secretly dreads going about her daily activities as she lacks one very important item – an IC.

Thinesh was born and raised in Kedah but is considered stateless due to the simple fact that she knows nothing of her biological mother.

Without an IC, she lives in constant fear that she will be apprehended by the police and asked questions to which she has no answers.

“I’m going to turn 21 next year not knowing if I can hold an IC or not. That is what scares me the most.”

When Thinesh turned 12, her adopted parents took her to get her first MyKad. But at the counter, they were told that she could not be given one as her birth certificate lacked information about her biological mother.

That was when Thinesh’s fears began.

She filed for citizenship in 2014, but her application is still being processed. She went to inquire about her application many times but each time, she was told the same thing: wait.

It has been nearly eight years now, and Thinesh is still waiting.

“They urged me to look for my biological mother, but how can I do that when I do not even know who she is? I’ve never even seen her face before.

“I’m going to turn 21 next year not knowing if I can hold an IC or not. That is what scares me the most,” she said.

Others her age can obtain a driving licence and further their studies but Thinesh cannot even buy a SIM card for a phone or open a bank account.

She desires with all her heart to live a normal life as a lawful citizen of the country where she was born and which she calls home. But more than that, she also wants to do something with her life that will allow her to contribute to her community.

“This is not my fault but I am the one who must struggle with it.”

“They mocked me, saying that I was stateless and that my parents had me before they got married,” she recalled.

“They said a lot of harsh things. That is why I don’t mind talking openly about this issue because I want people to know what it means to be stateless, and to be aware that such a problem exists.”

In many cases, she said, the blame is laid on the parents but she sees no point in dwelling on this thought.

“I know this problem happened partly because of my parents but they are no longer alive,” she said.

“This is not my fault but I am the one who must struggle with it.”

What bothers Thinesh the most is the way many judge stateless children as worthless and without a future.

“These children have a lot of talent but they do not have any chance to express themselves and show their abilities,” she said.

While they are denied citizenship, she is confident that if given a chance, many would want to serve their country.

“Now, though, I cannot do anything and I live in constant fear. I really do not want to continue living like this.”