One woman has chosen to stand with and for them. Larissa Ann Louis is a lawyer who has quietly committed herself to helping the stateless – mostly children – navigate the long road towards Malaysian citizenship.
For her, it is work rooted in purpose, not prestige.
“I think we were all placed on Earth for a reason, and it cannot just be to live for your own gain. I think we are positioned in different communities to bring change,” Louis told FMT Lifestyle.
She has learnt the struggle is deeply personal. “Many times, stateless people feel like they are living in a silo. Some of the children are quite depressed,” said the 33-year-old partner and head of the pro bono unit at Azri, Lee Swee Seng & Co.
“They don’t even dare to dream because they are in this situation where they can’t see their own future.”
She added that parents carry their own fears too, wondering what will happen to their children when they are no longer around.
It’s what drives Louis to keep fighting for them – to be their voice and bring hope. For those who cannot afford legal fees, she offers her services for free, or charges only a minimal amount.
“I believe people who don’t know about access to justice are those who need it most,” Louis said. “They don’t have access to it because they don’t have the money and the resources.”
Now in her 10th year of practice, the youngest of five sisters didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming an advocate for the stateless. But she always had a desire to give back to the community – a value shaped early on by her faith and family, especially her father.
One of her earliest cases involved a stateless girl who had born to a Malaysian father and a foreign mother. The couple only married several months after her birth.
By the time the parents sought legal help, she was already in primary school – and it took over eight years before she was recognised as a citizen.
Louis shared that this case ended up shaping much of her work as it opened her eyes to the plight of stateless children.
Over the years, her mission has led Louis to realise that stateless people are often assumed to be undocumented and displaced migrants – a misconception that can shape how others see them and even how they see themselves.
It has also changed the way Louis sees the little blue card most Malaysians carry without a second thought. For her clients, it is more than an ID – it is the key to school, work, and a future that feels possible.
Over time, Louis began sharing parts of her journey online, hoping to show there is a way out of statelessness. Some even reached out to her through social media, asking for assistance.
Among them was a young man seeking help not just for himself but for his two brothers as well. The siblings were born to a Malaysian father and a foreign mother who were married only in a traditional ceremony.
When their father suffered a stroke, the young man became the family’s breadwinner while still living without official recognition. Louis eventually helped all three brothers become citizens, which took about three years.
The work, she admits, is not easy – but what stays with her are the moments that remind her why she started in the first place: a parent’s tears of relief, or a child finally daring to dream.
Louis also takes on cases involving family law, freedom of religion, and enforced disappearance, among others.
Additionally, she heads the human rights committee of the Bar Council, and is the founder of HaKita (Our Rights), a platform that empowers communities with human-rights knowledge.
Ultimately, her goal is to build something lasting, and that includes making pro bono work a more visible culture within the legal industry.
“I want to be more than just a lawyer clocking in and out. I want to leave a legacy – to inspire people to do and think more, and give back to the people around them,” she concluded.