Unregistered parents' marriage leaves woman struggling for MyKad over 20 years

SHAH ALAM - For nearly two decades, a woman found herself returning again and again to the National Registration Department (NRD), enduring bureaucratic hurdles because her parents’ marriage had never been registered, all in her quest to be recognised as a lawful citizen.

Fitra Etika Shamsul Bahri, 30, has sought identity documents since applying at 12, most recently on Feb 3, but was advised by the NRD in Putrajaya to seek permanent (MyPR) or temporary (MyKas) resident status.

Met at her mother-in-law’s home in Merbau Indah recently, Fitra Etika, known as Eira, said her efforts went beyond repeated visits to NRD offices and extended to the department’s official social media platforms to raise her case.

"I’m at my wits’ end. I don’t know what else to do to get my identity card (IC). I’ve tried every avenue, including leaving comments on posts about others who managed to obtain their ICs and raising questions about my application on the NRD’s official platforms.

"My efforts kept hitting a wall at the enquiry counter, and I was constantly told to refer the matter elsewhere, including the Indonesian embassy. It was a frustrating, time-consuming process that also drained me financially," she said.

The mother of two said her prolonged uncertainty stemmed from her father, a Malaysian citizen, marrying her Indonesian mother in Malaysia, with the marriage registered under her mother’s home country.

The marriage was never registered in Malaysia, and the situation worsened when her father suffered a serious head injury, leaving him unable to remember Fitri Etika’s existence and later certified as mentally ill.

"My father managed to register my birth before his accident when I was two, and that birth certificate has been my only form of identification document ever since. Since he fell ill, my grandmother has taken full responsibility for raising me, with support from my father’s family, including my aunts.

"They were the ones who helped me with all the trips to the NRD for my MyKad. My mother, an Indonesian citizen, left me when I was around eight months old, and her whereabouts are still unknown," she said.

The situation worsened in 2020, when Eira planned to marry her Malaysian husband and approached the NRD, hoping the marriage would resolve matters, but her efforts came to nothing.

"Some suggested I fly to Indonesia to get my parents’ original marriage certificate and take my father with me, but he could barely move. I spent three months handling everything for my marriage, including court visits and completing the required courses, all using my birth certificate.

"A religious department officer visited our home, saw my father’s condition, and ruled him unfit to act as my wali (guardian). As a result, my husband and I were married with a judge standing in as my wali," she said, adding that she is listed as a non-citizen on her marriage certificate.

She was advised to hire a lawyer, but the high costs and little new information left the effort unclear and went nowhere.

Having no identification document for 30 years, Eira has depended entirely on her husband, in-laws, and family for basic needs, her children’s schooling and healthcare.

Years of leaning on others slowly eroded her confidence, leaving her feeling like a burden, especially when she couldn’t take her child to the clinic despite it being beyond her control.

"When my child is sick and my husband isn’t home, my parents-in-law have to take them to the clinic. Some days, I just sit and worry about my future," she said, adding that a past police detention during a routine check left her with lasting trauma whenever she goes out without an identity card.

Despite living without citizenship, Eira never lost her determination to be independent, support her family, and at least complete a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia.

"Growing up, I only attended KAFA (Quran and Fardu Ain) classes and never went to primary or secondary school. I learned with help from my aunt, a tuition teacher, by studying alongside her students and through my own reading of books and newspapers," she said.

She now helps her husband run a small business selling frozen pastries to order, the only venture she can manage without having valid identification.

"If I had a MyKad, I’d love to run a proper, legal business, maybe a stall like a car boot sale. Above all, I want to be able to open a bank account,” she said, adding that she will keep working toward her long-held dream of living a normal life as a Malaysian citizen. - BERNAMA