SARAWAK recorded 1,453 citizenship applications for children and individuals aged below 21 under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution from 2018 to 2023, with 793 of them are still in the process.
Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said while 50 individuals have applied this year, only three of them have been approved.
She assured that pending cases would be brought to the Special Citizenship Committee Meeting under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution in the upcoming session.
“This Special Citizenship Committee is jointly chaired by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and the Minister of Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development.
“Between 2016 and 2023, the special committee has convened 27 times and endorsed a total of 1,188 applications to the Home Ministry for decisions,” she said.
She was replying Dayang Noorazah Awang Sohor (GPS-Lingga) during the question-and-answer session today.
However, the Dalat assemblywoman pointed out that not all individuals born in the country acquired citizenship through legal provisions or automatically.
In this regard, she explained, an individual’s citizenship is determined based on several factors.
“The factors to be considered include the marital status of the parents registered in accordance with the country’s laws, the citizenship status of the individual’s parents at the time of birth, and births occurring before the registration of the parents’ marriage according to national legislation,” she added.
She stressed that applications for citizenship under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution are requests to register as Malaysian citizens by those under 21 years old in special circumstances.
The application requirements stipulate that both the applicants and the persons being registered must appear before the National Registrar at the time of submission of applications, and the individuals being registered must be under 21 years old on the date of application.
Additionally, applicants are required to state the reason for applying for citizenship in special circumstances in Section F and Others in the application form or include separate attachments if the space is insufficient, complete Form B, provide copies of the required documents, and submit the application through a parent, legal guardian, or guardian with kinship.
Fatimah encouraged applicants and those being registered to visit the citizenship counter at the main office of the National Registration Department (JPN) in Putrajaya or the State JPN main office or branch and bring along original documents with copies.
