A TOTAL of 9,539 citizenship applications are being considered by the government for approval as of September, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.

He said the government, through the Home Ministry, would always consider every citizenship application fairly.

He said the granting of Malaysian citizenship was the an exclusive right of the federal government and it cannot be given arbitrarily.

He also said the government had completed the draft amendment to Part III of the Federal Constitution on the granting of citizenship.

Saifuddin said it would be presented to the Conference of Rulers this month.

“Today, I handed over the decision letters of citizen applications to 19 applicants,” he told a press conference after attending the Home Ministry’s Madani programme at the Bandar Tun Razak Sports Complex in Kuala Lumpur.

Saifuddin said the 19 applicants were under two categories, namely adopted children and naturalised residents.

“Naturalised status (the awarding of citizenship to non-citizens) is for those who have resided for decades in Malaysia and who had applied for citizenship numerous times but failed in their bids,” he said. – Bernama, October 1, 2023.