Britain to look into BOC plight

You can read the original article here.

Anifah to seek solution for stateless

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman has pledged to seek the best solution for more than 500 “stateless” Malaysian British Overseas Citizens (BOCs) in Britain. Please click to read Choi Tuck Wo's article for The Star.

Life in the shadows

The 27th July procession covered by Choi Tuck Wo for The Star:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/2/focus/4428248&sec=focus

Update on the procession

I thought that it would be wise to clarify the details and aims of the procession on Monday coming (27th July).

We will be gathering outside the front of Westminster Abbey between 12:00-12:30. At 12:30 we will be leaving for the Home Office, in a quiet procession along smith street and stop outside the front doors.

Between 12:30 and 13:00, Phil Woolas' private secretary will be coming downstairs to meet us. A delegation including a priest, a councilor and a lawyer, as well as 2 B.O.C's will present him with a letter requesting a meeting before the end of September.

We have full permission and protection from the police and we shall be dispersing at 14:00. The aim is to put pressure on Phil Woolas to grant a meeting. Simply presenting a letter with no procession would not have the required effect, and no doubt the letter would be in the paper shredder the minute it got upstairs.

The dress code is smart. Placards and banners will be provided, and we are expecting around 200 people.

London CITIZENS (the largest civic alliance in the country) have pledged their support as have the CIAC, further strengthening our cause.

Look forward to seeing you there!

BOC's receive press coverage in The Star

Choi Tuck Wo has covered the BOC story in The Star, concentrating on the heart breaking story of Anne and Phillip who are soon to be married. Highlight the link below and copy and paste it into your toolbar to read more: http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2009/7/19/columnists/eurofile/4347668&sec=Eurofile

A personal story

I thought that some of you might like to here a story of one individual who has now been here for eleven years.

His name is D. In 1998 he moved to the UK on a student visa. He spent his first two years studying English, and was accepted to study at Lincoln University and was awarded a distinction. He extended his visa and completed a further two masters programmes in 2002 and 2006. In 2003 he was granted a BOC passport.

When applying for full citizenship, his applications were constantly delayed and rejected. The Home Office (before the new rules) hinted that he might have more success if he renounced his Malaysian citizenship. He followed the advice, and continued to contribute to society and pay his taxes.

Now he is stateless, he cannot be returned home, he cannot marry, he cannot work. In short, his life has been ruined.

D is looking for your support on the 27th July to help the other BOC's to persuade the Home Office to show them the compassion that he and many others deserve.

27th July!

A demonstration has been planned for the 27th July. The march will take place from 12 noon until 2pm. We will be walking in as a group from the Sanctuary to the Home Office. It is around a ten to fifteen minute walk.

The aim is to lobby the Home Office to allow the Malaysian BOC's to remain in the U.K, and to allow them to contribute to society. We wish to highlight that the situation has occurred due to the detrimental advice handed out by the Malaysian High Commission and the Home Office.

The Home Office in particular, before changing the rules advised the BOC's that their best chance in gaining UK citizenship lay in renouncing their Malaysian citizenship. They complied and are now without a state.

The forced destitution they are in is a punishment for following orders from the Government.

Please persuade as many people to join our cause, reverse the situation and to join us on our much for Justice!