ALOR SETAR: The actions of a group of lawyers in criticising the National Registration Department (NRD) over its inability to proceed with the printing and issuance of a MyKad to a 17-year-old male student have created a misleading impression of the department's conduct, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said their action portrayed NRD as deliberately delaying the implementation of a court order granting citizenship to the teenager, when in fact the process was being carried out in accordance with the law and established procedures.
He explained that the case came to light when the teenager's parents visited the NRD to apply for a MyKad, where subsequent investigations found that the teenager's birth certificate had been obtained illegally through a private hospital that the NRD had blacklisted for its involvement in a syndicate producing false birth records.
“This case began when the parents came to the NRD to apply for a MyKad. Based on physical appearance, it was clear that the child did not resemble either parent.
"The parents themselves admitted that the birth certificate was obtained illegally when the child was a baby. As the child grew older, the physical differences became more apparent. However, this admission was not mentioned by the lawyers," he said when met after the presentation of a cheque for the Early School Assistance (BAP) here on Tuesday (Jan 13).
Saifuddin Nasution said the NRD had no issue complying with the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision, made on Dec 8 last year, which ruled that the teenager was eligible for citizenship under Article 14(1)(i) of the Federal Constitution.
However, he said the process must begin with the issuance of a valid birth certificate through late registration, as the original certificate was obtained illegally and the teenager is now 17 years old.
"This process only involves completing the necessary forms and verifying witnesses. Claims that the NRD is complicating the procedure or requiring the support of elected representatives are untrue," he said.
Before this, a group of lawyers representing the teenager, who was confirmed by the court last month as a Malaysian citizen, criticised the NRD for allegedly refusing to comply with the court's order.
On Dec 8, 2025, the High Court ordered the NRD and the Home Minister to issue a blue MyKad to the teenager within 30 days, who recently sat for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin Nasution said the number of outstanding citizenship cases had been reduced significantly, from about 50,000 to fewer than 4,000 over the past three years. – Bernama
