KUCHING: After two years of waiting, Suriani and Alan, both Indonesians, can now officially consider themselves Malaysian citizens.
Suriani, 45, and Alan, 49, who are married to Sarawakians, finally obtained their Certificates of Malaysian Citizenship yesterday.
With the certificates, they can now go to the National Registration Department and formally apply for their Malaysian Identity Cards or Mykads.
Suriani’s Certificate of Malaysian Citizenship was registered on 31 May, 2017 while Alan’s certificate was registered on 6 June, 2017.
Suriani, from Paloh Sambas Indonesia, is married to Jumat bin Tahir while Alan, an Indonesian Dayak, is married to Jili anak Dawai.
Both women, who were accompanied by their husbands, received their Certificates of Malaysian Citizenship from Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development, Datuk Hajah Fatimah Abdullah at her office at Bangunan Masja, Petrajaya here yesterday.
Fatimah said it was a historical day for the two applicants whose applications for Malaysian citizenship were approved.
“After going through the various processes that need to be complied with, thank God, today we presented to them their Certificates of Citizenship as Malaysian citizens. Before this, they had already signed and took their oaths of allegiance as Malaysian citizens,” she said.
“Congratulations to both successful applicants. We are thankful also that the process is done according to the correct procedures .
“The applications was not done by us in Sarawak but by the NRD in Putrajaya and approved by the NRD Director –General,” she said.
The Minister added that applications for citizenship were made directly to Putrajaya.
An average of five applications was received by JPN Kuching every month.
Fatimah said the two women could now apply for their Identity Cards or Mykads at the JPN Office.
Amelia Lee, Deputy Director of NRD Sarawak, who was also present, told reporters that the certificates were issued under Article 15 (1) of the Federal Constitution.
Alan has been married to a local for 20 years and together, they hae five children. She applied for PR in 1996 and in 2009 obtained her PR. It took her two years to obtain her Malaysian citizenship.
Meanwhile, Suriani has been a permanent resident for eight years before she applied for Malaysian citizenship two years ago.
