Arrest of stateless teen in Malaysia highlights plight of Sabah’s 1 million non-citizens

AI Summary

The arrest of a stateless 17-year-old during a school outing in Sabah, Malaysia has highlighted the precarious situation of approximately one million undocumented people in the region. The incident has reignited debate over Malaysia's treatment of stateless individuals, particularly children.

The arrest of a 17-year-old stateless teenager during a school outing to buy Eid clothes at a Sabah mall for allegedly failing to show valid residence papers, has returned scrutiny to Malaysia’s treatment of undocumented people. Niko Ansboy, a student at Borneo Komrad, an alternative school for stateless children, was waiting outside a store during a school trip to the 1Borneo Hypermall when police detained him on Sunday. He was stopped by officers patrolling after the Kota Kinabalu District...