THE PLIGHT OF NATIONLESS CHILDREN IN EAST MALAYSIA

KOTA KINABALU, Sabah, Malaysia - Hundreds of thousands continuous case of undocumented children whose parents formally migrated from the Philippines are still stranded in Sabah (a Malaysian state in the island of Borneo) without recognition or legal rights from either Malaysian or Philippines government.
These young people are left vulnerable after the Malaysian government rounds up and deports their parents who are immigrated without legal documentation.
Their children that were left behind are sometimes forced into crime to earn a living, negative stereotypes poison chances for gaining ground. "We have no documents. It's easy to blame things on us." They said.

• One young man told Al Jazeera, "I was born here, so I guess I am Malaysian", but he lives in Sabah without citizenship or recognition.
• Even though they've become a vital part of the local economy, but without documentation or paperwork they can't get support from either government.

Source: Al Jazeera's Marga Ortigas reports from Sabah, Malaysia and Agency


ANOTHER STORY FROM THE OTHER FRONTIER

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines - The Philippines administration offered no genuine assistance to Filipinos children who were deported from Sabah. Many children have died from malnutrition and simple diseases while others have gone blind. , Malaysia. Medical assistance, food and shelter, livelihood and counseling were all scarce.
Hospital workers aggrieved the lack of facilities and medicine that were supposed to be provided by the national government. The Task Force questioned the national government for the fund-raising programs it has conducted for the refugees. "Millions go into their coffers yet even a straw mat is not found in the refugee's home," said Philippines Task Force Spokesperson (PTFS).

• Instead of offering a comprehensive reintegration program, the government focused on the fast-paced processing of the deportees' passports. "All they gave the hungry, cold and abandoned Filipinos was a one-stop shop that will return them back to Sabah,"
• "But then again, this program will limit their stay in Malaysia, making them vulnerable to the same harsh treatment and dehumanization that they have experienced from the hands of the Malaysian police." Said PTFS.

The Task Force urged the Philippine government to address the plight of the refugees. "Flaming the fires of war will not answer the basic needs of the Filipino deportees, much less the Filipino people. If they cannot respond to the grievances of the deportees, how can they deal with the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) caught in the Middle East crisis.

*If you have time to spend, why not read some more sad story pertaining to the same issue; "The Stateless Children of Sabah (Stories from the East)."