THE Home Ministry has received 688 applications for citizenship for children born overseas by Malaysian mothers married to foreigners.

Its minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the number was from a total of 150,000 citizenship applications received by his ministry to date.

“We are sure that there are still people out there, but have yet to submit their applications… this matter is under article 15(2) of citizenship applications for children born overseas,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

“We have segmented the applications. It turns out that the higher category involves stateless children or children born out of wedlock.”

He said this in his reply to a supplementary question from Mumtaz Md Nawi (Tumpat-PN), who wanted to know the number of applications received from mothers with children born overseas.

Answering another supplementary question from Mohd Shafie Apdal (Semporna-Warisan) on the government’s efforts to resolve the issue of stateless children in rural areas, Saifuddin said the ministry had set up a special team to go to the areas to assist with the citizenship application process.

He said the Home Ministry also aims to finalise the 948 citizenship applications received in Sarawak before June.

In his reply to the original question from Wee Ka Siong (Ayer Hitam-BN) on when the amendment to the Federal Constitution can be made regarding the citizenship of children born overseas by Malaysian mothers married to foreigners, Saifuddin said a technical committee chaired by the Home Ministry secretary-general is working on it and it is expected to be tabled in September. – Bernama, March 23, 2023.