By Olivia Miwil Oct 5, 2017@ 8.20am.
olivia@nst.com.my
Link
KOTA KINABALU: A woman here has been going through countless hassle for almost 20 years as her MyKad says she is a “male”.
Mairinc Patrick, 35, said she first noticed something was amiss in 1999 when the Public Services Department rejected her application for a nursing position that was meant only for women.
She said she then found out that her MyKad had an odd number as the last digit.
In Malaysia, an odd last digit indicates male.
“I went to the state Registration Department to clarify and rectify the data.
“However, when I applied for a passport at the Immigration Department in 2008, I was apparently still a ‘male’,” she said, adding that the Registration Department only attached a note to clarify her status.
That did not stop Mairinc from facing problems, where the authorities abroad would often doubt the authenticity of her passport.
Her plight was once highlighted in a local newspaper in 2003, and the then Registration Department director had said it had resolved the issue.
But, for some reason, only her MyKad’s data was updated.
She said she usually needed to be present at certain institutions to submit her MyKad for verification instead of settling matters online or over the phone.
At her marriage registration recently, Mairinc was asked twice about her gender, but everything went smoothly.
“I do not mind the hassle, but when I have children in the future, they might have to deal with the issue of having a ‘male’ mother.”
olivia@nst.com.my
Link
 |
| Mairinc Patrick showing her MyKad with an odd last digit. (PIC BY MALAI ROSMAH TUAH) |
KOTA KINABALU: A woman here has been going through countless hassle for almost 20 years as her MyKad says she is a “male”.
Mairinc Patrick, 35, said she first noticed something was amiss in 1999 when the Public Services Department rejected her application for a nursing position that was meant only for women.
She said she then found out that her MyKad had an odd number as the last digit.
In Malaysia, an odd last digit indicates male.
“I went to the state Registration Department to clarify and rectify the data.
“However, when I applied for a passport at the Immigration Department in 2008, I was apparently still a ‘male’,” she said, adding that the Registration Department only attached a note to clarify her status.
That did not stop Mairinc from facing problems, where the authorities abroad would often doubt the authenticity of her passport.
Her plight was once highlighted in a local newspaper in 2003, and the then Registration Department director had said it had resolved the issue.
But, for some reason, only her MyKad’s data was updated.
She said she usually needed to be present at certain institutions to submit her MyKad for verification instead of settling matters online or over the phone.
At her marriage registration recently, Mairinc was asked twice about her gender, but everything went smoothly.
“I do not mind the hassle, but when I have children in the future, they might have to deal with the issue of having a ‘male’ mother.”
Comments
Post a Comment