SERDANG: The Home Ministry hopes to approve 10,000 citizenship applications this year, especially in the adopted kids category, in a bid to resolve their education and medical issues.
Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he was focused on it as he did not want their woes to be prolonged.
"Those without identification documents have education problems, and difficulties getting medical treatment as they have to pay more, just like foreigners.
"I have gone through some cases, and some of the applicants have reached the age where they are eligible to enter university and college.
"I recently met a girl named Sonia aged 13 and her application had been pending since she was three after it was submitted by her adoptive parents.
"She is a bright girl, likes science and she aspires to be a doctor. I gave her an approval, not because of her academic excellence, but I feel 10 years is just too long to wait," he said after the ministry-level Hari Raya Madani celebration, here.
Saifuddin added that he had to date approved 8,000 citizenship applications.
The ministry, he said, had a joint committee with Sarawak's Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, to look into citizenship applications as well as stateless children cases.
In Sarawak, up to 1,500 approvals for citizenship had been given, he added.