This is Part 4 of a Malaysia Day series on the issue of statelessness in the country.

Dashing into the water at the shores of the coastal town of Lahad Datu, Sabah, foremost on Morehat Lindasani’s mind was keeping his two-year-old son safe from the immigration dragnet.

The risk of capture by enforcement officials had eclipsed any possible threat from the deep blue bay and Morehat did not expect a saltwater crocodile to be so close to the busy shoreline.

Within moments...