FILE PHOTO: A large group of devotees ascend the stairs to the waterfall hilltop temple in Penang. Around 100,000 of over two million Malaysian Indians are holding OCI cards.- CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: India is working to simplify the procedure for Malaysian Indians seeking the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status, acknowledging that documentation requirements remain a key challenge for applicants.
In an exclusive interview with Bernama, High Commissioner of India to Malaysia B. N. Reddy said the mission recognises that many applicants face difficulties in providing proof of ancestry, particularly due to historical migration patterns and the loss of documents over time.
"Before OCI status is issued, individuals need to provide documents proving Indian origin, up to the third generation.
"The challenge is that many documents are not available because those who came here during the British era often did not retain them, and some were lost during the war period,” he said.
Reddy said the High Commission has been engaging with the Indian government to allow for the use of documents issued by Malaysian authorities and former British colonial administrations to support OCI applications.
"We have tried to get our government to agree that documents issued by the Malaysian government or former Malaya authorities can be accepted.
"If a document identifies India as the country of origin, we can issue the OCI card,” he said.
He said currently around 100,000 of over two million Malaysian Indians are holding OCI cards.
OCI status allows foreign nationals of Indian origin to travel to India without a visa and grants certain rights, including the ability to own property under specific conditions, but does not confer citizenship. - Bernama
