KUALA LUMPUR: The government has granted citizenship to 19 individuals from 9,539 applications via the Ministry of Home Affairs, Sunday.
Home Affairs Minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said, the approvals were in line with the government’s commitment to grant citizenship to those who are qualified and deserving.
Saifuddin said, the approvals granted among others were through Articles 14 and 19 of the Federal Constitution.
“The government has exclusive right to grant Malaysian citizenship to non-citizen individuals and is not offered and given arbitrarily.
“The ministry is committed to examine and scrutinise every citizenship application fairly. As of September 2023, the ministry received 9,539 applications,” he said in his speech during the ministry’s Madani programme held in Bandar Tun Razak, Sunday.
Earlier in the year, Saifuddin told Dewan Rakyat that the Home Ministry is targeting to process at least 10,000 applications for citizenships this year. Based on statistics from 2013 to Feb.21, 2023 there were 132,272 applications to become Malaysian citizens.
Meanwhile, he said, the government has completed the amendments to Part III of the Federal Constitution on citizenship issues.
He said, the proposed amendments would be presented to the Council of Malay Rulers this month.
Previously, the government in an announcement said that it would present the amendments after the six state polls in August 2023. –Malaysia World News
