Brief Outlook: Statelessness
Among others such as Nepal, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon, Malaysia denies women the equal right to confer citizenship to their children. Unlike Malaysian men, Malaysian women cannot pass down their status to their overseas-born children, rendering many stateless as a result. Other factors such as parents failing to register their child’s birth, and those who were abandoned without documents, also increase the risk of statelessness. Since the government does not officially recognise the existence of stateless persons in the country, there is little data on this topic. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at least 10,000 individuals in West (Peninsular) Malaysia are currently denied nationality, while numbers are unknown in East Malaysia. This does not include stateless persons residing outside Malaysia.
Brief Outlook: Refugees
Malaysia is also not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention. It has no legal obligation to provide the full range of rights guaranteed for Malaysian citizens to refugees, thus lacking an asylum system. As of 2024, there are currently more than 190,000 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia.
In Malaysia, not having valid documents means losing access to basic needs like affordable healthcare, accessible education, and stable income from a legal job. Many individuals from stateless and refugee communities are forced to get healthcare at non-citizen rates, or avoid doctor’s visits altogether for fear of possible detainment by immigration authorities. They are also barred from attending public schools, and are limited to odd jobs that are willing to overlook their status.
INVISIBLE PEOPLE features 6 members/allies of these groups, with each participant having their own 7-8 minute episode. Due to the nuanced, unique experiences of every individual with the issues at hand, this episodic format allows their stories to truly shine without compromising for a single, linear narrative.
Participants
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Adria Sharmini Elwell+Rishon Elwell
EPISODE 1 PARTICIPANTS
Adria is a Malaysian mother of a stateless son who was born in Sri Lanka to a non-Malaysian father. Her son has thus not been able to enjoy the rights of a Malaysian citizen since the family returned home.
By sharing her story, Adria hopes to spread awareness about the issue, and urge the authorities to eliminate gender-biased policies barring its own people from citizenship.
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Dr. Tamara Joan Duraisingam
EPISODE 2 PARTICIPANT
Dr. Tamara is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Law at Taylor's University Malaysia, with a concentration in Constitutional Law concerning stateless, refugee, and citizenship issues. Through her on-site research, she aspires to educate the general public about these topics from both an academic and empathetic standpoint.
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Tawk Lian Sang (Peter)
EPISODE 3 PARTICIPANT
A Chin refugee from Myanmar, Peter runs a non-profit school dedicated to the education of child refugees who are otherwise denied from attending public schools. Although the Covid-19 pandemic has affected both the school's student capacity and its funding, he is still committed to providing accessible and affordable education to those who have been excluded from public institutions.
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Maalini Ramalo
EPISODE 4 PARTICIPANT
Ms. Maalini Ramalo is a Director for Social Protection of Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (DHRRA) Malaysia. She currently leads the Statelessness Unit at DHRRA, supported by a team that focuses on evidence-based advocacy and provides direct services to stateless persons with strong links to Malaysia.
Alongside DHRRA, she has successfully advocated for policy changes to benefit stateless persons with Malaysian parents (i.e., Education access & SOP processes). She has since obtained several certifications on Statelessness, from the University of Melbourne and Institute of Statelessness & Inclusion, Netherlands.
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Chee Yoke Ling
EPISODE 5 PARTICIPANT
Yoke Ling is a lawyer and Committee Member of Family Frontiers Malaysia, a non-profit organisation that aims to advance, promote, and strengthen family unity and development, ensuring that no family is left behind. A mother of a stateless child herself, Yoke Ling, in collaboration with Family Frontiers and six other affected mothers, launched legal action against the Malaysian government over “sexist and outdated” citizenship laws in 2021 (Suriani Kempe & Ors vs Government of Malaysia & Ors), which they say risk trapping women in abusive relationships and leaving their children stateless.
Fun Fact: According to Captain Planet co-creator and executive producer Barbara Pyle, Yoke Ling served as inspiration for the character Gi, bearer of the Water Ring!
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Rohana Abdullah
EPISODE 6 PARTICIPANT
Image credit - Bernama
Child of a Malaysian father who left her at birth and an Indonesian mother, Rohana was unable to prove her link to the country via biological parentage which left her stateless. She was mostly raised by former kindergarten teacher Chee Hoi Lan a.k.a. “Lao Shi” (meaning “teacher” in Mandarin). The story of Chee, who is Chinese Malaysian, raising Rohana as a Malay Muslim, went viral in 2022 and touched the hearts of many who were inspired by their love for each other despite cultural and religious differences.
All these individuals share the belief that citizenship should be a fundamental right rather than a government-mandated privilege, and that stateless and refugee communities deserve access to basic needs like education, affordable healthcare, and a stable income just like regular Malaysians do. By showcasing their stories in visually stunning and emotionally impactful ways, INVISIBLE PEOPLE aims to further spread awareness on these issues and incite calls for change, be it big or small.