IPOH, 26 Sept 2008: Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak has asked the National Registration Department (NRD) to issue a temporary identity card (IC) to “stateless” person R Ragu.
Ragu from Segamat, Johor has been camping in his car with his family at a petrol station here while waiting to get a recommendation letter from the Sultan to enable him to get identity documents from the NRD.
Perak executive councillor A Sivanesan said the NRD now must give Ragu, 33, the temporary IC before the Hari Raya celebration.
“They will have to issue the temporary identity card by Monday or Tuesday as requested by the Sultan.
“Tuanku (Sultan Azlan Shah) was very sympathetic towards Ragu and said that this (Ragu’s problem) should not have happened,” he told reporters outside the Istana Kinta here after meeting with the Sultan today.
Sivanesan said Ragu would need to get his temporary IC first and apply for the MyKad later.
“I will try my best to help him with his application to get his citizenship,” he added.
Yesterday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar regretted something like that had happened and urged the NRD to take proactive steps to help people in such a plight. — Bernama
