Decisions on 11,711 citizenship applications made between Dec 2022 and Dec 2023

KUALA LUMPUR: Decisions on 11,711 citizenship applications were made from December 2022 to December 2023, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

Of the number, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said 5,187 decisions were made for citizenship applications under Article 15A.

He said this in a written parliamentary reply on Thursday (March 7) to a question by Lee Chean Chung (PH-Petaling Jaya).

Lee asked the ministry about measures to improve standard operating procedures in applying for citizenship under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution.

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Article 15A provides for the Federal Government’s special powers, where it can register anyone below the age of 21 as a citizen in "special circumstances as it thinks fit”.

Saifuddin Nasution added that the procedure for citizenship application under Article 15A was improved in 2020.

This includes shortening the application process from one year to three months for applications at the National Registration Department.

The application process at the Home Ministry was also shortened to only eight months, compared to the previous period where it took between three and five years.

“The ministry is committed to improving the standard operating procedure (SOP) for citizenship application based on developments and current needs,” he said.