Kuala Lampur, July 14 -- Across South-east Asia, rapid development has become a badge of honour. Skyscrapers rise, highways stretch farther, and GDP figures climb. Yet in the shadows of this growth are communities that remain unseen - not because they hide, but because states refuse to see them.

In East Malaysia's Sabah and South Jakarta's Pancoran, entire communities exist without legal identity. Many were born and raised in these places, speak the national language, and contribute to local economies. Still, they are excluded from basic rights - education, healthcare, formal employment - because they lack documents that the state deems essential for recognition.

Sabah is home to an estimated 800,000 stateless individuals. Many are desc...