When 'Belize' qualifies as 'race' on birth cert
Kuek Ser Kuang KengPublished: Jun 14, 2011 2:48 AM | Updated: Jun 14, 2011 12:44 PM
While the rigid national registration system has annoyed many parents in mixed marriages, it also confounds foreigners married to locals.
While the rigid national registration system has annoyed many parents in mixed marriages, it also confounds foreigners married to locals.
They can only choose between the ethnicity of the local parent or the nationality of the other parent, in entering the ‘race’ of their children on birth certificates.
A case in point is that of Christopher De Shield, a Belizean of Creole ethnicity, with white and black Caribbean blood.
The central American native married Miriam Loh, a Malaysian of Chinese and some Javanese blood, and they have a son.
They w
ent to the Petaling Jaya branch of the National Registration Department (NRD) to register the birth of their child in January.
"When we got to the office, the officer immediately assumed that the child would follow my race and, because I am a foreigner, she suggested putting 'lain-lain: Belize' as the child's race.
"I pointed out that 'Belize' is not a race or ethnicity but a nationality and was therefore not appropriate," he said in an email interview.
The officer rejected his suggestion that 'Creole-Chinese' be designated, on the ground that this is not listed on the form. The son was eventually registered as ‘Chinese’, in keeping with his mother's race.
"What is unusual is that we were not allowed to select more than one race or give our own, because my child's ethnicity would be much more accurate that way," said De Shield.
Although the couple has no qualms about registering their son as a Chinese, they are perplexed about the categorisation.
"In both Belize and the US where he has been registered, there is no official race mandated for him, and he will be able to identify for himself (in) his own racial category. It seems senseless to us why Malaysia hangs on to obviously inadequate but compulsory categorisations,” De Shield added.
"The system seems easily politicised, and I would be concerned with what the state does with such information. It also appears rather arbitrary who the department considers Malay, Chinese, or Indian and at the same time, there are real consequences to this."
Format confusion
A NRD officer had earlier confirmed that a child’s ethnicity in Peninsular Malaysia can only be determined according to that of the mother or father.
If either parent is a foreigner, the child's ethnicity can be defined as the nationality of the foreign parent.
Some foreign parents are aware of the rule and have chosen local ethnicity for their children, knowing well that this is not completely accurate.
British national Robert Michael Savory is one of them.
Savory and his Malaysian Malay wife decided to classify their daughter's ethnicity as Malay before they went to NRD last month to register her.
"This was in order to avoid possible complications in the future. I'm aware of the bureaucracy and pedantry of Malaysian authorities. Everything must be stated in black and white," Savory said when contacted yesterday.
"If I register her as 'British-Malay', it might create confusion in future when she applies for ASB (Amanah Saham Bhd) shares, for example."
ASB shares are only available to bumiputera citizens.
However, the father, who has converted to Islam, faced another hurdle when he requested not to have the word binti in his daughter's name, which is a norm among Malaysian Muslims.
At his request, the officer consulted the NRD headquarters in Putrajaya, which agreed to his request but on condition that he signs a declaration to have the word dropped.
Savory was also asked to furnish documents to prove his Muslim name is ‘Mikhail’, before he was allowed to register his daughter as Nahla Mikhail.
Although 'Mikhail' is not stated in his British passport, fortunately he had a conversion card from the Singapore authorities, which was sufficient to convince the officer.
However, the trouble is not likely to stop here for three-week-old Nahla.
"I was told that there is no format for a child's name in the birth certificate. You can put any name you want, as long as you can prove that the child is yours.
"However, there is a format for the name in Mykad. We will cross the bridge when the time comes," Savory said.
Orang Asli reps: 'Lain-lain' race an insult
They can only choose between the ethnicity of the local parent or the nationality of the other parent, in entering the ‘race’ of their children on birth certificates.
A case in point is that of Christopher De Shield, a Belizean of Creole ethnicity, with white and black Caribbean blood.
The central American native married Miriam Loh, a Malaysian of Chinese and some Javanese blood, and they have a son.
They w
ent to the Petaling Jaya branch of the National Registration Department (NRD) to register the birth of their child in January."When we got to the office, the officer immediately assumed that the child would follow my race and, because I am a foreigner, she suggested putting 'lain-lain: Belize' as the child's race.
"I pointed out that 'Belize' is not a race or ethnicity but a nationality and was therefore not appropriate," he said in an email interview.
The officer rejected his suggestion that 'Creole-Chinese' be designated, on the ground that this is not listed on the form. The son was eventually registered as ‘Chinese’, in keeping with his mother's race.
"What is unusual is that we were not allowed to select more than one race or give our own, because my child's ethnicity would be much more accurate that way," said De Shield.
Although the couple has no qualms about registering their son as a Chinese, they are perplexed about the categorisation.
"In both Belize and the US where he has been registered, there is no official race mandated for him, and he will be able to identify for himself (in) his own racial category. It seems senseless to us why Malaysia hangs on to obviously inadequate but compulsory categorisations,” De Shield added.
"The system seems easily politicised, and I would be concerned with what the state does with such information. It also appears rather arbitrary who the department considers Malay, Chinese, or Indian and at the same time, there are real consequences to this."
Format confusion
A NRD officer had earlier confirmed that a child’s ethnicity in Peninsular Malaysia can only be determined according to that of the mother or father.
If either parent is a foreigner, the child's ethnicity can be defined as the nationality of the foreign parent.
Some foreign parents are aware of the rule and have chosen local ethnicity for their children, knowing well that this is not completely accurate.
British national Robert Michael Savory is one of them.
Savory and his Malaysian Malay wife decided to classify their daughter's ethnicity as Malay before they went to NRD last month to register her.
"This was in order to avoid possible complications in the future. I'm aware of the bureaucracy and pedantry of Malaysian authorities. Everything must be stated in black and white," Savory said when contacted yesterday.
"If I register her as 'British-Malay', it might create confusion in future when she applies for ASB (Amanah Saham Bhd) shares, for example."
ASB shares are only available to bumiputera citizens.
However, the father, who has converted to Islam, faced another hurdle when he requested not to have the word binti in his daughter's name, which is a norm among Malaysian Muslims.
At his request, the officer consulted the NRD headquarters in Putrajaya, which agreed to his request but on condition that he signs a declaration to have the word dropped.Savory was also asked to furnish documents to prove his Muslim name is ‘Mikhail’, before he was allowed to register his daughter as Nahla Mikhail.
Although 'Mikhail' is not stated in his British passport, fortunately he had a conversion card from the Singapore authorities, which was sufficient to convince the officer.
However, the trouble is not likely to stop here for three-week-old Nahla.
"I was told that there is no format for a child's name in the birth certificate. You can put any name you want, as long as you can prove that the child is yours.
"However, there is a format for the name in Mykad. We will cross the bridge when the time comes," Savory said.
Orang Asli reps: 'Lain-lain' race an insult
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