KUCHING: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) aims to finalise about 946 citizenship applications for stateless individuals in Sarawak by June this year.
Its minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the process was activated last January and being implemented with the working committee set up with the Sarawak Ministry of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development which received 946 applications.
“Finalising the application of these stateless individuals means that there are successful applicants and vice versa (unsuccessful).
“Previously, we have approved a total of 177 citizenship applications and we must finalise another 946 applications by this June,” he told a press conference after presenting the citizenship approval letter held at a hotel here, yesterday.
He added that with this working committee, the state’s ministry would help the documentation process for applicants from Sarawak and at the same time, speeding up the application process.
Saifuddin also explained that his ministry will also evaluate and consider a total of 146 citizenship applications under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution in Sarawak after co-chairing the working committee meeting with Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah yesterday.
With the approval of the application, Saifuddin said a stateless individual is now a citizen of the country.
“They now have rights as citizens and are protected as well as have the opportunity to get education and health services compared to the stateless status before,” he said.
Saifuddin said the ministry aimed to deliver an outcome for some 10,000 of citizenship applications received by end of this year.
“We want to speed up such processes so that applicants won’t have to wait for too long for the outcome.
“Since I was appointed to lead the Ministry of Home Affairs, we have given approval consideration to 4,297 applications.
“Therefore, we will continue this effort so that our children who are entitled and deserving will be able to become Malaysian citizens,” he said.
The event also saw 40 individuals awarded the Malaysian citizenship status.
