KUALA LUMPUR: The National Registration Department received 24,704 citizenship applications between 2017 and September 2021 under Article 15(A) and 15(2) of the Federal Constitution for those between then ages of 12 and 21.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin in a written parliamentary reply said that 1,679 (6.8 per cent) applicants were granted citizenship while 1,024 (4.1 per cent) applicants were denied.
Hamzah who said this in a written reply to Fong Kui Lun (Bukit Bintang-DAP) said that children who reached the age of 12 or all those who enter Malaysia were required under the law to be registered.
He however did not say what was the outcome for the other 22,001 applications.
Hamzah said that the process of registration requires birth certificates, adoption certificates, citizenship certificates or registrations under Form H for overseas births that require registrations at embassies.
The Home Ministry has been mired in a number of controversies over not registering children born to Malaysian mothers overseas who married foreign nationals.
On Dec 3, Hamzah reiterated the ministry’s intention to propose a constitutional amendment to allow Malaysian mothers to confer citizenship on their children born overseas to foreign fathers.
Currently, only Malaysian fathers have this right under the Federal Constitution, which has led to a number of court challenges.
Recently, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that mothers are entitled to confer citizenship by operation of law in all processes, but the decision has since been appealed by the government.
In a parliamentary written reply to Pengerang MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Hamzah said it still intends to get the proposal approved by the Conference of Rulers before a constitutional amendment is tabled.
Similarly Hamzah also told the house that there were 53,997 people with 1MM13 documents, nationwide. Filipinos made up the bulk of the group with 51,645 pass holders followed by Syrians (2,332) and Thais (20).
He also said through cross checks between the Immigration Department, the Sabah Chief Minister’s office and the state level National Security Council, it was found there were 136,055 war refugees from the Philippines living in Sabah.
Source: New Straits Times
