POKOK SENA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pic) has rejected allegations that his ministry is granting Malaysian citizenship on a large scale to foreigners, particularly from China.
Without providing details about the allegations, Saifuddin Nasution dismissed them as “serious accusations” that lack responsibility and have a negative impact on the ministry’s efforts to resolve citizenship application issues.
“This is the work we are doing, and it’s not easy because the issue of citizenship is highly sensitive. However, I completely deny the claim that we are granting citizenship to foreigners, specifically from China.
“Allow us the space to address the future of children from Malaysian families who have not undergone the proper marriage registration process.
“There are multiple issues, and we want to help,” he told reporters after delivering a donation for the purchase of a hearse to Masjid Ar-Raudhah, Sungai Durian yesterday.
During the event, he also presented a letter of approval for a citizenship application to Khatanak Sayyan, 19, who had been without any identification since birth.
Expanding on his statement, Saifuddin Nasution mentioned that his ministry has received over 140,000 citizenship applications, of which 9,000 have been processed, including approved applications.
He also added that if the data regarding citizenship granting is distorted and spread, it could result in a negative perception of the ministry’s efforts to address citizenship issues, many of which arise from delays in marriage registration.
“Various reasons contribute to this — sometimes parents fail to register a marriage promptly, and when it comes to citizenship, the marriage certificate is an important document. Lack of it leads to problems for the children over time.
“So, when parents aim to rectify the situation, they submit an application which takes a considerable amount of time to process. In this particular case, it took 19 years, but there are instances of 20 years, 15 years being the norm, and even 12 years,” he explained.
Earlier, the National Registration Department also refuted claims that approximately 54,000 Chinese nationals were in the process of receiving Malaysian citizenship. — Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
