PETALING JAYA: Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli intends to lodge a police report against PAS for a social media post alleging that 54,000 Chinese nationals are in the process of obtaining Malaysian citizenship. “I will be discussing with Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail so that we can file a police report regarding this post, as it clearly constitutes criminal defamation and false information to assert that these Chinese nationals are on the verge of being granted citizenship. PAS must be held accountable for spreading such fabrications,” he stated in a tweet on Monday (Aug 28).
In the aforementioned PAS social media post, quoting Bersatu information chief Datuk Razali Idris, it was suggested that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should investigate Saifuddin and The National Registration Department (NRD) for purportedly providing citizenship to 54,000 Chinese nationals. “54,000 is an excessive quantity, and the public demands a prompt and intelligent resolution to this issue. We must safeguard our national sovereignty along with our specific rights as Malaysian citizens!” he declared earlier on Monday (Aug 28).
On Aug 18, the NRD refuted the accusation, stating that Saifuddin’s statement on Jan 9 had been manipulated. It clarified that between 2017 and 2022, the NRD received 54,000 citizenship applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds and countries of origin, in line with the provisions of the Federal Constitution. It added that only 45 Chinese individuals were granted Malaysian citizenship as per the NRD’s records for 2019 until July 31 this year.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
