KOTA KINABALU, June 21 -- Advocates for Non-Discrimination and Access to Knowledge (Anak) Executive Director Anne Baltazar said unequal and complicated birth registration procedures, together with weak laws, are actively creating and deepening a crisis affecting thousands of children across Sabah.

She stressed the system drives statelessness, exclusion and serious vulnerability - hitting Indigenous communities and families in rural and remote parts of the State the hardest.

While parents in Peninsular Malaysia have 60 days to register a birth, Sabah allows only 45 days.

Late registration requires additional approval from a Magistrate - an extra costly and time-consuming step that is nearly impossible for those living far inland or alon...