SINGAPORE — As the opening notes of the National Anthem echoes through her primary school, Cindy Lim stands at attention and sings softly as the Singapore flag is raised during the morning assembly.
Unlike her other Singapore-born schoolmates, however, Cindy is not allowed to raise the state flag. She has to pay higher fees if she joins a school camp. And even though she comes from a low-income family, the Primary 5 student is not eligible for financial assistance from the Education Ministry.
Cindy, who scores excellent grades in her studies and has been a school prefect for three years, is not entirely sure why she is treated differently, but she suspects it may have something to do with an unusual entry in her birth certificate that reads: “The child is not a citizen of Singapore at the time of birth.”
The 11-year-old was born in Singapore to an Indonesian mother and a stateless father who died of kidney failure last year. Her father, originally a Malaysian who was brought to Singapore from Selangor as a baby, became stateless after renouncing his citizenship while refusing to serve the National Service here when he got the enlistment call.
Cindy’s mother, Madam Yulyana, 48, who lives in Singapore as a long-term pass holder, said: “Seven days after my daughter’s delivery, I followed my husband to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) because I cannot believe what happened.
“I have a country. Why is she stateless? They explained that it is because the father is stateless.”
More than 1,000 people in Singapore share Cindy’s highly unusual and complicated legal status. While some successfully obtain Singapore citizenship, many find themselves in limbo for years, even decades.
Take Ms Wang Mei Har, 46. She was born at Kandang Kerbau Hospital (now KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital) but was not registered as a Singaporean at birth because her parents, whose marriage had soured, did not produce their marriage certificate.
When she had to register for her identity card at 12, Ms Wang could not produce a photocopy of her Malaysian mother’s identity card because she has never met her mother. Her Singaporean father ran away that year, and she was later raised by his ex-girlfriend.
Being stateless is no mere administrative quirk. It has major real-life implications for an individual, as well as his or her children.
Stateless mother Ms Wang Mei Har and her son, Leon, who is also stateless. Photo: Raj Nadarajan
For instance, Ms Wang, who is stateless and a single mother, cannot rent or buy a Housing and Development Board flat on her own.
Her six-year-old son Leon, also classified as stateless, is not entitled to free childhood immunisations, childcare subsidies, or subsidised rates at a polyclinic.
The boy enrolled for Primary 1 late last month, later than most prospective pupils. Ms Wang was told by a school administrator that Leon would be placed at the back of the queue with other non-residents. Even if he manages to secure a place, Ms Wang worries about whether she can afford the unsubsidised school fees, which will come up to S$550 a month. The S$1,200 a month she earns as an assistant at Trinity Casket is barely enough for their daily needs, Ms Wang said.
Two appeals to gain Singapore citizenship for Leon failed. “I’ve lived here all my life,” Ms Wang told TODAY in a recent interview.
“I want to contribute to society. But I don’t have the right certificates and my salary is not high. I don’t know how I can meet the conditions (for citizenship). But Leon is just a child, and shouldn’t be deprived of chances.”
When approached, the ICA said that it would not discuss individual cases with the media. A spokesperson told TODAY: “Any person who wishes to apply for Singapore citizenship, including those who are stateless, would have to meet prevailing eligibility requirements. Each application is carefully assessed on its own merits.”
There are 1,411 stateless people living in Singapore as of Jan 31 this year, official statistics show. About six in 10 are men. Most of them — 1,048 to be precise — are aged 50 and above.