There should be clear guidance for applicants who have been denied their bid for citizenship, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic).
Referring to the 5,718 unsuccessful cases, he said the authorities should explain why these applications were rejected.
He cited the case of a Hong Kong-based banker from Banting, Selangor, who gave birth in the United Kingdom and whose son’s citizenship was denied.
Debating the Constitution (Amendment) Bill concerning citizenship laws, Dr Wee, who is Ayer Itam MP, spoke on the need for the government to establish a clear standard operating procedure (SOP) in the handling of citizenship applications.
He called on the authorities to give the reasons when they reject an application.
“I understand the government’s decision to not do it retrospectively. But for these 5,718 cases that are stuck, what action can be taken to assist them?
“The least we can do is to inform them why their application had failed and from there, what can be done so that they can re-apply and go through the proper process,” he added.
Out of the 17,203 outstanding cases, 67% or 11,465 have been resolved under Article 15A and Article 19 of the Federal Constitution, said Dr Wee.
“For cases (which had been rejected), the applicants would cry every time they receive a rejection letter.
“They don’t know the reason for it, so there needs to be a clear SOP.”
He urged the government to disclose the SOP, especially since the age requirement would be reduced.
(Article 15(A) of the Federal Constitution is being amended to lower the age limit from 21 to 18 for citizenship registration.)
Dr Wee said he was supportive of the constitutional amendments, describing them as “something good for Malaysia.”
However, he appealed to the relevant authorities to iron out the necessary matters.
He acknowledged that the government might not be able to guarantee a 100% perfect solution, but there is a possibility to address any legal gaps that exist.
He also stressed on the importance of an effective resolution and called for assurances that these issues can be tackled systematically and in stages.
By adopting such an approach, he said longstanding issues can be resolved.
