He Lived Here For 50 Years, But Died Without A MyKad: The Heartbreaking Story Of Gopal Muniandy
From bank loan rejections to being unable to buy a home, Gopal Muniandy’s life was defined by the limitations of a “Green IC”.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
What does it feel like to be a stranger in the only home you’ve ever known? For Gopal Muniandy, it was a 50-year struggle of humiliation, red tape, and a dream that was cut short just days before a potential breakthrough.
Gopal, a Kedah-born man who had been fighting for decades to be recognised as a Malaysian citizen, passed away at the age of 50 on 28 May 2024. He never got to hear the Court of Appeal’s decision on his case, a decision that was initially set to be delivered just last week.
Abandoned But Never “Adopted” By His Country
Gopal’s story began in an estate in Sungai Petani, where he was abandoned by his birth parents before he was even two years old. He was taken in by a Malaysian woman who, being illiterate, did not know how to navigate the complex world of birth registrations.
As a result, Gopal only received his birth certificate in 2003, at the age of 30. It bore the heavy label: Non-citizen.
Instead of the blue MyKad every Malaysian receives, Gopal was issued a MyKAS, a green-coloured “temporary resident” card. It was a document that allowed him to stay, but never allowed him to belong.
The “Green IC” Struggle: No House, No Loans, no Vote
Speaking to Malay Mail, Gopal’s daughter (who is a Malaysian citizen through her mother) shared the daily indignities her father faced.
My father lived in Malaysia for 50 years with a green IC. Throughout his life, he faced many difficulties. At work, he was never promoted. He faced problems opening a bank account and buying a house.
Despite working as a lorry driver at the Selangor Turf Club (where he died from cardiac arrest) for over a decade and saving diligently, Gopal was repeatedly rejected for home loans. Banks viewed his green card with suspicion, often questioning if he was an immigrant from India despite his lifelong residence in Malaysia.
A Legal Limbo Ends In Silence
Gopal’s lawyer, Surendra Ananth, had been representing him pro bono (free of charge). He argued that under the Federal Constitution, Gopal should be an automatic citizen because he was born truly stateless, with no claim to any other country.
However, the government’s current stance is a catch-22: abandoned children must prove the identity of their biological parents to show they aren’t citizens of another country.
“Which abandoned child can possibly ask their parents where they came from? It is ridiculous to require them to find out,” Surendra argued.
Sadly, because Gopal passed away from cardiac arrest before the court could deliver its judgment, his appeal was officially withdrawn on 21 January. Since his wife and daughter are already citizens, the court deemed there was no longer a “live issue” to pursue.
Until his final breath, Gopal never stopped writing letters to Prime Ministers, Home Ministers, and anyone who would listen. He didn’t just fight for himself, he fought for the dignity of every “Green IC” holder in the country.
His daughter now hopes that her father’s passing won’t be in vain. She is calling on the government to find a lasting solution for the many others still trapped in this bureaucratic limbo, so that no other family has to watch their father die as a “visitor” in his own birthplace.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.
