SANDAKAN – The Lahad Datu National Registration Department (NRD) office is under scrutiny for allegedly violating basic human rights, as mothers with infants are reportedly being forced to endure long waits under the scorching sun.
Situated on Sabah’s east coast, with a population close to 30,000, Lahad Datu has a NRD office housed within a cramped cornered shop lot. This limited space is considered insufficient to meet the demands of the local residents.
The small waiting area leaves no choice but for people to queue outside the office, exposed to the sweltering heat, with no access to fans or seating.
Lee Pun Yee, who is the Sabah People’s Human Rights Association director, has condemned this situation as a violation of basic human rights. He stressed that the government must take immediate action to enhance the facilities at the NRD office.
“We received complaints that people had to wait under the sun, in the hot weather, including mothers who are holding infants. This is against basic human rights, and we have met with NRD Lahad Datu to discuss this matter,” he said in a statement recently.
Lee said that in the short term, the Lahad Datu NRD office should install fans for the comfort of its visitors. However, in the long run, he insists that the government establish a new, larger office for the district’s NRD, as the current facilities are unable to accommodate the existing demands.
Lahad Datu resident Lim Chu Shyang commended NRD personnel for their helpful and efficient service. However, he agreed that the office’s limited space is inadequate for serving the entire district.
He expressed hope that the office would be relocated to a more spacious facility with a larger waiting area and improved amenities, including sufficient seating.
Meanwhile, in Sandakan, the NRD office continues to grapple with understaffing issues, making it difficult to handle customers not only from within the district, but also from neighbouring districts such as Beluran, Telupid, Tongod, and Kinabatangan.
On a regular workday, the office resembles a bustling gathering, with a crowd filling the premises of the federal government building in Mile 7 here.
In contrast to the Lahad Datu situation, residents here are not calling for a larger NRD office but rather advocate for the establishment of an Urban Transformation Centre (UTC). This promise had been reiterated to the people multiple times during past elections.
However, a UTC in Sandakan has yet to be established, and there have been no updates from both the state and federal governments since it was shelved in 2021. – September 29, 2023