I REFER to “Special unit to handle Indians without birth cert” (The Star, Jan 21).

The setting up of a special committee by the Government to handle the plight of 40,000 Indian children and the efforts of the NGOs to trace these children are truly commendable and heartwarming.

It reflects their caring, compassionate and inclusive attitude towards the voiceless, inarticulate, and socially and economically disadvantaged in our society.

The special committee set up under the Home Affairs Ministry will no doubt be imbued with more discretionary powers to sympathetically consider this human problem, and approve genuine cases of non-registration of children born to Malaysian parents.

I hope leaders of the community at the grassroots level will impress upon the less educated and ignorant the importance of registering their children’s birth and, where possible, assist them in obtaining the birth certificate.

M. GANESHADEVA,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – January 23, 2008