By Olivia Miwil
KOTA BELUD: More outreach programmes should be conducted in Sabah's rural areas to address long-standing documentation issues affecting local communities.
Tempasuk assemblyman Datuk Arsad Bistari said many undocumented cases involve local Sabahans.
A child's birth, he said, must be registered within 42 days, after which it is classified as a late registration.
He added that there are also cases involving undocumented adults resulting from delayed birth registrations.
"Among the problems we observed were difficulties for residents to travel to hospitals to obtain birth verification documents, especially for home births, which we estimate account for about 10 to 20 per cent of cases.
"But some children were born at home and parents failed to register them early.
"To obtain a birth certificate, the National Registration Department requires supporting documents from hospitals or clinics," he said during a mobile court outreach programme in Kota Belud.
Arsad also said unregistered marriages, particularly mixed marriages between natives and non-citizens, contribute significantly to documentation issues.
"For non-Muslim Bumiputera communities, verification from village leaders or family members may also be required, but many families still lack complete documents.
"For Muslims, the process can become more difficult if marriages were not registered through the relevant Islamic authorities such as the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAINS)," he said.
He added that the role of the Syariah Court is important, as unregistered marriages or marriages not registered with JHEAINS often affect Muslim children's access to birth certificates.
During the briefing session, an NRD officer also explained that a child may face citizenship issues if the mother is not a citizen.
However, a Malaysian father may still apply for citizenship for the child before the age of 21, subject to approval by the Home Ministry.
Arsad urged the federal and state governments to organise such programmes more frequently, particularly in rural districts.
"Today, everything depends on documentation because the country operates through a system that requires documents for almost every application and service.
"That is why special programmes like this are urgently needed outside urban areas so documentation problems can be resolved more comprehensively," he said.
From 2009 to May 2026, Sabah's mobile court initiative has processed 16,286 endorsement cases for late birth registration across remote districts, including Long Pasia, Meligan (Sipitang), Inarad (Tongod), Kalabakan, Lahad Datu, Banggi Island, Pensiangan, Saliku (Nabawan), Kemabong (Tenom), Jambongan Island, Kuamut and Pinangah.
The mobile court initiative is a brainchild of former chief justice Tun Richard Malanjum.
This story was produced in conjunction with a six-month Progressive Journalism Fellowship for journalists exploring issues of race, religion and inequality in Malaysia.
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