KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — The government is fully committed to solving the citizenship issue involving around 30,000 permanent resident status holders or MyPR who do not have entry permits or foreign travel documents.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said these people comprised individuals who were adopted as children, as well as those who were born before Merdeka (October 31, 1957) and were in this country before the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.
“The Home Ministry has already finalised the very clear and transparent application guidelines, especially under Article 15A and 19(1) of the Federal Constitution,” he said during a press conference at the Parliament building today.
Saifuddin added that there are around 30,000 people in that category, but only about 10,000 applied for citizenship.
Explaining the confusion regarding the issue of the citizenship status of children of parents with permanent resident status that was raised by MPs during the debate on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 today, he said some people are mixing up two groups of permanent residents in Malaysia.
There are two categories of permanent residents in Malaysia, the first being those who are given MyPR, have an entry permit and have foreign travel documents, which refers to full foreigners.
The second category is MyPR holders who do not have an entry permit or travel document of a foreign country which refers to adopted children, those who were born before Merdeka and were in this country before the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.
“The main principle is that all children of first-category permanent resident status holders, who are full foreigners, can claim their parents’ original citizenship status. It is the parents’ responsibility to report the birth of their children at the Embassy of their respective country of origin in order to obtain the citizenship status of their country of origin.
“The amendment to grant citizenship status by force of law is aimed at preventing the children of permanent residents (from the first category or foreigners) from having dual citizenship,” Saifuddin said.
59 MPs participated in the debate session on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill today.
The amendment will see a child who was born in the Federation and at least one of his parents at the time of the birth was a permanent resident in the Federation, is now no longer eligible to obtain citizenship by operation of law.
It also entitles children born outside the Federation whose mother at the time of birth is a citizen to acquire citizenship by operation of law, as opposed to only if the father is a citizen.
— Bernama
