KOTA KINABALU: The United Progressive Kinabalu Organization (UPKO) welcomed the decision of the Court of Appeal on January 19, 2022 which ruled that Wong Kueng Hui, 27, whose father is a Malaysian and mother is believed to be an Indonesian citizen, is a citizen of this country.
Therefore, UPKO is of the view that it will bring good news to Wong Kueng Hui and others who are in a similar case or situation and need to be awarded citizenship status as Malaysians.
UPKO hopes that the Government, especially the National Registration Department (JPN) will not submit an appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal, which in fact has also upheld the High Court decision issued on 21 October 2019.
UPKO also hope that the decision of the Court of Appeal will open the door to many more cases that need fair and big-hearted attention on the part of the Government and bring an amicable solution. The verdicts from the two tiers of court are sufficient to grant Wong Kueng Hui his citizenship and others who are in similar dilemma.
Therefore, UPKO hopes that the Government will use the latest legal decision as an important reference case to resolve similar cases that require long-term remedial action.
A comprehensive settlement of such cases is very important to maintain the harmony of the lives of individuals affected. We cannot leave it to the court’s decision alone, instead the Federal Government and the State Government, especially the Sabah State Government in this case, need to take proactive action to resolve such cases.
If necessary, current laws need to be reviewed and amended to avoid an undue burden on the part of individuals such as Wong Kueng Hui in the future.
Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, UPKO President and Tuaran Member of Parliament
