In a response to a query in the Dewan Rakyat, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail disclosed that a total of 5,187 citizenship applications under Article 15A had been approved from 2022 to December 2023. Throughout this timeframe, 11,711 decisions were made regarding such applications.
Member of Parliament Lee Chean Chung (PH-Petaling Jaya) had raised concerns about the standard operating procedures for citizenship applications under Article 15A, prompting the minister’s response.
The provision outlined in Article 15A grants the Federal Government the authority to confer citizenship upon individuals below the age of 21 under “special circumstances as it thinks fit.”
Minister Saifuddin Nasution noted that significant improvements had been made to the citizenship application process under Article 15A in 2020.
Among these enhancements was the reduction of the application processing period at the National Registration Department from one year to just three months.
Similarly, the processing time at the Home Ministry had been shortened to a mere eight months, a considerable improvement compared to the previous duration of three to five years.
He emphasized the ministry’s dedication to enhancing the standard operating procedures for citizenship applications in response to evolving developments and current requirements.
