Did NS but unable to get citizenship or PR

[Piyopico]

By Rennie Whang

The New Paper

Friday, Dec 28, 2012

 

SINGAPORE - You know that pink identity card (IC) in your wallet?

 

Mr Delvis Ng, 27, had one just like that five years ago. His two younger Singapore-born siblings and his parents have pink ICs.

But, at 22, he was forced to give his up. Like his mother, Mr Ng was also born in Malaysia.

But while she had given up her Malaysian citizenship, he couldn't because of a missing document.

Now he shuttles between Sarawak and Singapore on temporary travel documents.

 

Mr Ng grew up in Singapore and did national service here as a storeman in the navy.

According to the law here, when he turned 21, he had to decide to be a Singapore citizen or a Malaysia citizen.

He opted to renounce his Malaysian citizenship before taking the Oath of Renunciation, Allegiance and Loyalty before his 22th birthday.

 

Then it all went wrong.

He was told at the Malaysian embassy that he needed his mother's Malaysian IC to renounce his citizenship. But she no longer kept her Malaysian documents after becoming a Singapore citizen in 1991.

When he turned 22, he had to turn in his pink Singapore IC because he was unable to renounce his Malaysian citizenship.

"It sucks not belonging anywhere," said Mr Ng.

 

"I've lost count of the number of times I've been to the ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) and the Malaysian embassy to explain the situation to them. It didn't work," said Mr Ng, who had no documents to prove that he is a Malaysian citizen.

As instructed, he also surrendered his Singapore passport and identity card at the ICA. That meant that he had no documents to get out of the country. It was also difficult for him to find work because he did not have proper identification.

His life, he said, came to a standstill for about four years. "I couldn't fly anywhere, I couldn't work. I wanted to work so badly."

He had previously worked as a tattoo artist in a studio here for two years, but the owner told him he had to go as she did not want to get into trouble with the authorities.

"I just bummed at home, came up with tattoo designs," he said.

 

It was only in October last year that he managed to get an emergency passport from the Malaysian embassy here.

This was after his mother, Madam Doris Ak Tambi, 53, went to Kuala Lumpur in the middle of last year to try to get a passport for him - one of the five or six times she has travelled there on his behalf.

She said she was rejected and told to return to the Malaysian embassy here.

"I would spend whole days at the KL office. They looked at me like I was nobody, there to fool around," she said.

With the emergency passport, Mr Ng went to Kuala Lumpur to get his Malaysian passport and IC - a measure which, he said, was a last resort to get to work here.

 

To and fro

 

Then came the days of going to and fro, spending 30 days in each country.

Mr Ng's father was an engineer with an oil company when he was sent to Sarawak in 1981 and fell in love with his mother, a Sarawakian Iban. They married in a traditional Iban ceremony and at a church in 1983.

Mr Ng was born in Miri while his Singaporean father was still working there in 1985.

He came to Singapore with his Malaysian mother a few years later, on a shared passport.

He attended Elias Park Primary School and East View Secondary School, later graduating with an engineering diploma from Temasek Polytechnic.

Now, during his 30-day stays here on a tourist visa, he lives out of a suitcase in the bedroom where he grew up.

His family of five, all Singaporean save for him, have lived in a Pasir Ris five-room flat for the last 17 years.

Both his 21-year-old brother, who is in NS, and 17-year-old sister, a private school student, were born here.

When time's up for Mr Ng, he leaves for Miri, Sarawak, where he was born. He counts the days till he can return.

Flying to Miri is $200, and lodging and transport come to another $900 every month.

He works as a tattoo artist in Miri but his mother ends up sending money because he does not earn enough to cover his expenses.

"I've spent all my savings. I'm supposed to spend it when I'm 55, not now," he said.

"It's tough because my mother (a cancer survivor) is here, my father is here, my friends.

"Over there, I know only a few colleagues. Time passes very slowly."

 

There is hope for him though. About a year ago, Mr Ng approached his MP, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, at a Meet-the-People Session and obtained a letter which he took to the ICA, he said.

He was later able to apply for permanent residency (PR), he said.

While waiting to become a PR, Mr Ng has been trying to fly back for special occasions - including his brother's NS enlistment in October last year.

"(My brother's) passing-out parade is in January, I hope to see him then," said Mr Ng.

As Mr Ng's father, who is now with a gas company, travels frequently, Madam Tambi says she misses her eldest son.

"I don't understand, he was a Singaporean from young. Even his father served NS.

"When it gets to his second week, I start to cry. As the eldest, I hope he takes care of the family. What happens when his family falls sick?"

Mr Ng is hoping he will get his PR status. Then maybe, a pink identity card again.

 

 

 

 

This is just so wrong..................

 

[WTF]

Lucky his MP is DPM........not sure if same outcome if just a normal backbencher........

[Piyopico]

One year still waiting. DPM oso like tat. Now come out in media, you see whether they work or not.

 

It seems washing dirty laundry in public gets things moving.

Edited December 28, 2012 by Piyopico

[Rncw]

need to sark up to the miw to get things done??? he served NS ley....then others so easy get citizens??? what system is this???

[WTF]

One year still waiting. DPM oso like tat. Now come out in media, you see whether they work or not.

 

It seems washing dirty laundry in public gets things moving.

This might fast-track the process but letter by DPM is still better than a normal backbencher imho......

Edited December 28, 2012 by WTF

[PorkChong]

actually for his case.singapore gov already willing to give him the pink ic.

but the bolehland gov play punk with him and purposely dont want to let him renounce without document since they know his mother already burn or throw away the document so let him half fxck stuck here and there.

 

and sg law need this guy to have renounced his bolehland citizenship before can take up sg citizenship.

so dont know why above got ppl shoot sg gov instead of fxxking racist bolehland gov?

Edited December 28, 2012 by PorkChong

[Galantspeedz]

He was told at the Malaysian embassy that he needed his mother's Malaysian IC to renounce his citizenship. But she no longer kept her Malaysian documents after becoming a Singapore citizen in 1991.

When he turned 22, he had to turn in his pink Singapore IC because he was unable to renounce his Malaysian citizenship."It sucks not belonging anywhere," said Mr Ng.

 

 

With the emergency passport, Mr Ng went to Kuala Lumpur to get his Malaysian passport and IC - a measure which, he said, was a last resort to get to work here.

 

________________________________________________________________________________

_____

 

 

he cannot renounce citizenship so is malaysian no meh? why he say it sucks not belonging to anywhere

 

 

Edited December 28, 2012 by Galantspeedz

[Doosan]

as far as i know, once you are under NS here the Bodohland Auth would automatically revoke your Bodohland citizenship.

[Mllcg]

seems serve NS not enough for PR even..

 

anyway, is this the first case?

[Shull]

as far as i know, once you are under NS here the Bodohland Auth would automatically revoke your Bodohland citizenship.

 

No.. not true.. i know Malaysians who served NS but opt not to take up SG citizenship.. so they still keep their Malaysian IC..

[Kusje]

Just declare that his mother has passed away.

[Limahkiaw]

By Rennie Whang

The New Paper

Friday, Dec 28, 2012

 

SINGAPORE - You know that pink identity card (IC) in your wallet?

 

Mr Delvis Ng, 27, had one just like that five years ago. His two younger Singapore-born siblings and his parents have pink ICs.

But, at 22, he was forced to give his up. Like his mother, Mr Ng was also born in Malaysia.

But while she had given up her Malaysian citizenship, he couldn't because of a missing document.

Now he shuttles between Sarawak and Singapore on temporary travel documents.

 

Mr Ng grew up in Singapore and did national service here as a storeman in the navy.

According to the law here, when he turned 21, he had to decide to be a Singapore citizen or a Malaysia citizen.

He opted to renounce his Malaysian citizenship before taking the Oath of Renunciation, Allegiance and Loyalty before his 22th birthday.

 

Then it all went wrong.

He was told at the Malaysian embassy that he needed his mother's Malaysian IC to renounce his citizenship. But she no longer kept her Malaysian documents after becoming a Singapore citizen in 1991.

When he turned 22, he had to turn in his pink Singapore IC because he was unable to renounce his Malaysian citizenship.

"It sucks not belonging anywhere," said Mr Ng.

 

"I've lost count of the number of times I've been to the ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) and the Malaysian embassy to explain the situation to them. It didn't work," said Mr Ng, who had no documents to prove that he is a Malaysian citizen.

As instructed, he also surrendered his Singapore passport and identity card at the ICA. That meant that he had no documents to get out of the country. It was also difficult for him to find work because he did not have proper identification.

His life, he said, came to a standstill for about four years. "I couldn't fly anywhere, I couldn't work. I wanted to work so badly."

He had previously worked as a tattoo artist in a studio here for two years, but the owner told him he had to go as she did not want to get into trouble with the authorities.

"I just bummed at home, came up with tattoo designs," he said.

 

It was only in October last year that he managed to get an emergency passport from the Malaysian embassy here.

This was after his mother, Madam Doris Ak Tambi, 53, went to Kuala Lumpur in the middle of last year to try to get a passport for him - one of the five or six times she has travelled there on his behalf.

She said she was rejected and told to return to the Malaysian embassy here.

"I would spend whole days at the KL office. They looked at me like I was nobody, there to fool around," she said.

With the emergency passport, Mr Ng went to Kuala Lumpur to get his Malaysian passport and IC - a measure which, he said, was a last resort to get to work here.

 

To and fro

 

Then came the days of going to and fro, spending 30 days in each country.

Mr Ng's father was an engineer with an oil company when he was sent to Sarawak in 1981 and fell in love with his mother, a Sarawakian Iban. They married in a traditional Iban ceremony and at a church in 1983.

Mr Ng was born in Miri while his Singaporean father was still working there in 1985.

He came to Singapore with his Malaysian mother a few years later, on a shared passport.

He attended Elias Park Primary School and East View Secondary School, later graduating with an engineering diploma from Temasek Polytechnic.

Now, during his 30-day stays here on a tourist visa, he lives out of a suitcase in the bedroom where he grew up.

His family of five, all Singaporean save for him, have lived in a Pasir Ris five-room flat for the last 17 years.

Both his 21-year-old brother, who is in NS, and 17-year-old sister, a private school student, were born here.

When time's up for Mr Ng, he leaves for Miri, Sarawak, where he was born. He counts the days till he can return.

Flying to Miri is $200, and lodging and transport come to another $900 every month.

He works as a tattoo artist in Miri but his mother ends up sending money because he does not earn enough to cover his expenses.

"I've spent all my savings. I'm supposed to spend it when I'm 55, not now," he said.

"It's tough because my mother (a cancer survivor) is here, my father is here, my friends.

"Over there, I know only a few colleagues. Time passes very slowly."

 

There is hope for him though. About a year ago, Mr Ng approached his MP, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, at a Meet-the-People Session and obtained a letter which he took to the ICA, he said.

He was later able to apply for permanent residency (PR), he said.

While waiting to become a PR, Mr Ng has been trying to fly back for special occasions - including his brother's NS enlistment in October last year.

"(My brother's) passing-out parade is in January, I hope to see him then," said Mr Ng.

As Mr Ng's father, who is now with a gas company, travels frequently, Madam Tambi says she misses her eldest son.

"I don't understand, he was a Singaporean from young. Even his father served NS.

"When it gets to his second week, I start to cry. As the eldest, I hope he takes care of the family. What happens when his family falls sick?"

Mr Ng is hoping he will get his PR status. Then maybe, a pink identity card again.

 

 

 

 

This is just so wrong..................

 

 

 

This clearly shows Malaysia is a freaking backward place. Scared of brain drain and preventing people from leaving. Why da hell u need a mothers IC? can't he just throw his IC and say lim peh Mai Kia jit tau Liao .?

 

[Limahkiaw]

No.. not true.. i know Malaysians who served NS but opt not to take up SG citizenship.. so they still keep their Malaysian IC..

 

Why they love to stay in the forest ? Or tree house?

[JackRabbit]

This clearly shows Malaysia is a freaking backward place. Scared of brain drain and preventing people from leaving. Why da hell u need a mothers IC? can't he just throw his IC and say lim peh Mai Kia jit tau Liao .?

 

Bro...i agree with your post. But no need to quote the entire long article just to add your 2 liner reply, right?

[Leepee]

. I feel his anxiety .

 

[TMR11]

I miss the old Singapore .

No need PR or Citizenship , even Long term pass rejected for my In-law to help take care of my new born due to my mum's poor health .

 

I have 2 .One domestic helper and off-once-a-week.

More babies .... how to have more ? Now I know why it gets lesser ?

[Joseph22]

I miss the old Singapore .

No need PR or Citizenship , even Long term pass rejected for my In-law to help take care of my new born due to my mum's poor health .

 

I have 2 .One domestic helper and off-once-a-week.

More babies .... how to have more ? Now I know why it gets lesser ?

you dont know how to take care of kids yourself meh?

[Joseph22]

double

Edited December 30, 2012 by Joseph22