KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry has pledged to resolve all pending citizenship applications by Oct 17 next year.
Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced that he has signed 19,317 citizenship applications this year.
Since last year, he has signed a total of 32,153 applications, with 80 percent of them pending for more than five years.
All applications that have not been decided will be resolved by Oct 17 next year will be addressed, he said.
"I will be accountable to members of Parliament for what I say in the Dewan Rakyat," he said during his closing remarks on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 regarding citizenship.
Saifuddin assured that any approvals would not compromise legal issues, adding that the government's focus is on individual and humanitarian rights.
He noted that there are two types of local-born permanent residents in Malaysia.
The first group consists of those who were in the country in 1957 and received adopted children but did not apply for citizenship.
About 10,000 of them have applied for citizenship, and Saifuddin said the ministry will decide on their applications within six months.
"What's important is that I assure them they won't have to wait for a long time," he said.
The second group includes individuals who still hold citizenship from another country despite being born in Malaysia.
After the amendment, a child born to a foreign permanent resident will no longer receive automatic citizenship; instead, they will need to apply.
"When someone becomes a permanent resident, they may still hold foreign citizenship, such as from the United States, but have lived and worked here for a long time. When their children are born, before the amendment, the children automatically become citizens.
"However, in the ministry's study, there is not a single child of a foreign citizen (a permanent resident) in the world who automatically receives citizenship," he said.
Since Malaysia does not recognize dual citizenship, he added, if a child is born and the parent wishes to become a citizen, they must apply.
Addressing concerns about proficiency in the Malay language, Saifuddin said assessments for applicants vary based on criteria, including age.
Applicants must also understand the Federal Constitution and Rukun Negara, both of which are in Malay.
"During interviews, three out of ten candidates failed the language test," he said. "The language requirement is strict for those in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, as they must master Malay."
He noted that the language requirements for applicants are similar to those for countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany.
"We will be guided by these principles outlined in the Federal Constitution and Rukun Negara regarding language proficiency," he said.