“So I started my first job as a barista…started working while waiting for National Service. One by one my friends were called up. I was like ok, just wait lah. I was then discharged from the welfare home, so I continued working, which is also how I met my wife. I was waiting to be called up for NS, but I never got that call. Looking back I should have called NS to find out why I didn’t get called up. That was my mistake that I didn’t call them up,” Kevin disclosed. “I really didn’t understand why, cos’ you see some foreigners get to go for National Service, and after that they get citizenship or PR, but I also don’t know how lah,” he sighed.
Being stateless was not by choice, but by birth, and circumstances that started in the 1960s, way before his time. “From what I understand, at that time it was still Malaya, so there was no passport. But when the separation happened, my Mother’s family was living in Singapore, and my maternal grandfather unfortunately just passed away, so he did not get the chance to register for citizenship for my mom and some of her siblings who were still little at that time. Then I was born out of wedlock, my parents were unmarried, so I had to follow my mother’s nationality and she was stateless. Eventually after some time, my father was strong enough to acknowledge me as his son, so he also tried to go to ICA with me to help me get my citizenship. But because they did not marry, I still have to follow my mother’s status even though my father acknowledged me. That’s why I am also stateless.”
“At ICA we went from level 1 to level 5, and they ask a lot of things lah, even about permanent job. But like wah, why is it so hard? I was born here you know? Born in KKH (KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital) and I was supposedly a Singaporean, at least I felt I was Singaporean. But then when you are stateless, it makes it difficult to get a job, especially a permanent job. One time the employer asked me ‘how come you put your nationality like this?’ another time they said ‘I am very sorry, because of your nationality I cannot accept you, because it is too risky for me.’ It’s sad to hear this lah, but what to do.”
Despite these setbacks, Kevin was determined to do better. He made his way to undergo training in the security line, which allowed him the opportunity to take on additional shift work. Since welcoming his first child in 2018, Kevin as the sole breadwinner, has been juggling between adhoc jobs in logistics and security, up to 16 hours at times, so that he can also make time to care for his wife and 2 children.
Then 2020 came, and life almost came to a standstill for Kevin and it wasn’t just from the pandemic.
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Photo: Juliana Tan
