BA’KELALAN assemblyman Baru Bian has rubbished the explanation given by the minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department to the state assembly on the delay in gazetting of native status for children of mixed marriages.

“No good reason for inordinate delay,” Baru said on John Sikie Tayai’s reply yesterday to his (Baru’s) question over the long delay in gazetting the definition of “native” to include children of mixed marriages between natives and non-natives.

Sikie had told the state assembly that due to the “importance, complexity of the matter, its impact on the people of Sarawak and to safeguard the special position and rights of the natives of Sarawak as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, it was decided that further deliberation and review of the proposed conditions and requirements be made to ensure that the said proposal is suitable, reasonable and practical”.

“With respect, I don’t see any complication about the amendment. In fact, it is very simple and straightforward,” Baru said in a statement.

“In my view, there is only a procedural issue, that is, how an applicant can obtain a confirmation of his or her status as a native.”

That, Baru said, could be done by furnishing certain documents such as birth certificates and identity cards.

“It should be made as easy as possible for genuine applicants to obtain recognition, instead of having complicated requirements that act as obstacles for them,” he said.

“We must not forget that the children of mixed marriages are natives of Sarawak whose rights we are here to preserve and safeguard.

“The long delay in gazetting the amendment is a disappointment for all Sarawakians of mixed marriages, and is proving to be detrimental to many.

“I hope the minister will take this on as his personal goal to have the amendment gazetted before the next sitting of the Dewan Undangan Negeri (state assembly).”

The Interpretation (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 states that a “native” includes a person who is a citizen and a natural born child of a person of a race indigenous to Sarawak, and satisfies the conditions and requirements imposed by the state cabinet for recognition of such person as a native of Sarawak. – May 23, 2023.