1,980 Citizenship Applications For Overseas-born Children Approved Since 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 (Bernama) -- The government has approved a total of 1,980 citizenship applications for children born overseas to Malaysian mothers married to foreign nationals from 2024 to date.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said all the applications were processed and approved under Article 15(2) of the Federal Constitution while awaiting the effective date of the new constitutional amendment that will allow citizenship to be granted automatically.

"This means that for applications from 2024 to 2025, as of the time I am giving this answer, there are no applications that we have rejected. Except that, the average number of new applications coming in now is about 100 per month.

"So, these new submissions have not yet been processed under the amendment we have approved. The 2024 to 2025 cases that we processed under Article 15(2) total is 1,980,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Chiew Choon Man (PH–Miri) regarding the latest guidelines for children of Malaysian citizens born abroad following the approval of the constitutional amendment earlier this year, and whether they need to reapply for citizenship, as well as the current status of the applications.

According to Saifuddin Nasution, the amendment still needs to go through several processes before it can be enforced, and the effective date must first receive the consent of the King.

Among them, he said, is the need to review and refine the Citizenship Regulations 1964, which contain 57 provisions.

“We need to carry out several procurement processes and amend the forms, as future applications can be made online, and the systems currently used by Malaysian missions abroad are still based on the old forms and formats,” he said.

He said the government expects the updates to the Citizenship Regulations 1964 to be completed around September or October this year.

“Once we finalise the forms and procurement as well, we anticipate that the enforcement cannot go beyond the middle or end of next year, subject to the consent of the King,” he added.

-- BERNAMA