Penang rolls out race-free form

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — In a first for the country, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today announced an official administrative form that does require applicants to state their ethnicity.
The application form for the Program Anak Emas Pulau Pinang (Penang Golden Child Programme) RM100 payment from the state government completely omits the race category in its list of required details.

“This is a very special form because for the first time, there is no race category. This is the first form that doesn’t require you to state your race. To the state of Penang, as long as the parents are Malaysian citizens, that is most important,” Lim said today.

“But they have to be registered voters in Penang. That’s one of the conditions. If not, then cannot,” he added.

Lim said his administration’s move to exclude the race category in the form was in tune with Hari Malaysia, which will be celebrated on September 16.

The programme starting this year entitles all newborn babies in Penang to a single imbursement of RM100 if at least one parent is a Penang voter.

“This is for all babies born on or after January 1 this year. However, one parent has to be a voter,” Lim reiterated.

Previously, Lim said that the programme was expected to cost the state between RM5 million and RM10 million a year.
The programme under the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) led government has drawn criticism from the Barisan Nasional (BN) state opposition, which have attacked the initiative as a form of corruption.