By Sr Susan Dulang SSFS (Sisters of St Francis of Sarawak)
Be God’s Frontliners during Covid-19
During the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020 when the whole of Malaysia was on lockdown with movement restrictions, I received more than a thousand WhatsApp messages and calls requesting for various forms of assistance. In particular, they were asking for basic daily needs like food.
It was really God’s abundant blessings that we had plentiful supplies of food pouring in especially from Koreans working in Singapore. Indeed, “God provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever” (Psalm 111.5).
In terms of emotional and spiritual assistance, almost every week, I will be at the mortuary to represent families who had lost loved ones and to make arrangements for the body of the deceased to be buried. The health professionals were geared in full “Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)” to handle the remains of the deceased and I, equipped with God’s Protection, to pray and arrange for the funeral. In the midst of adversities, we continue to be beacons of hope to those entrusted to our care.
All are brothers and sisters – foreign workers without legal permits or documents
Foreign workers who have no working permits or proper legal documents are put in vulnerable situations. Some individuals enter the country through unofficial routes (jalan Tikus), while others may be coerced into entry. In certain cases, initial permits may have been granted but subsequently expired without renewal, resulting in the loss of their legal status. These workers are often found in Oil Palm plantations and factories. The increase in workers without proper permits and legal documents not only expose them to exploitation from employers but also enforcement agencies.
When these foreign workers stay long enough and they marry Malaysian citizens, they create social problems. Not only will they not be able to solemnise their marriage; when they are blessed with children, their children also cannot have legal documents. This results in them not being able to enjoy the privileges and rights of a citizen. They are deprived of education. Finding a proper job when they are grown up can be tough. Seeking medical attention can be costly. When they get married, the problem goes round in circles.
In trying to live out the beatitude, “blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the Kingdom of heaven”, they have taught me humility and dependence on God’s providence. Sometimes, I network or refer to NGOs or other professional help, to protect their rights and dignity as a person.
Justice for the ‘Stateless’ – Claiming their Citizenship
Those brothers and sisters who are geographically far from the city, living in the interior, near the border, are deprived of many things in life. For example, education, health care and others. The journey to the nearby town or city is far; public transport is rare and rather expensive. In Sarawak, where many still live near the Indonesian border or very remote places where a journey can take about two to three days due to the poor road condition and the water level of the river, they sometimes find themselves stranded in one place.
Besides, when they have children, they cannot register their children and when they grow up and get married, their children would be undocumented. So, the children grow up stateless though both parents are Sarawakians. Those children cannot have access to a school education because they are unable to prove their citizenship. We sometimes teach them some basic knowledge while applying citizenship for them.
In some kampong schools, the principal will allow them to study till a certain age, but they cannot proceed for higher education. Together with NGOs and lawyers, we will try to gather any documents that can assist them in the application process. The application or appeal for citizenship is a difficult, long and tedious process. However, we should never lose heart for nothing is impossible for God.
