The Malaysian authorities have said that the country has received more than 9,000 citizenship applications from the beginning of the year until the end of September.
Commenting on the high number of applications for citizenship, the Minister of Home Affairs of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, said that the relevant authorities are currently processing a total of 9,539 citizenship applications.
As the Minister revealed, despite such an increased number of applications for citizenship in the country, the authorities are making sure to process every application fairly, suggesting that every decision will be taken in line with the country’s current rules, VisaGuide.World reports.
As the Star explains, the Minister further said that granting citizenship to foreigners is the highest award to be given as well as an exclusive right that was not offered and given arbitrarily.
The Minister also stressed that the country’s government has already completed the draft Amendment to Part III of the Federal Consideration regarding citizenship. The draft is expected to be presented to the Rulers’ Council during this month.
While many people are still waiting for a decision on their citizenship application, Minister Ismail said at the beginning of this month that he had handed the decision letter of citizenship application to 19 applicants.
He also highlighted that the authorities will be working on the matter to process the other applications as soon as possible.
When applying for Malaysian citizenship, applicants are required to meet certain requirements and submit several documents.
As the government explains, applicants must prove that they intend to live and work in the country, have knowledge of the language, have two sponsors, and be over the age of 21 when applying for citizenship, among others.
Additionally, applicants are required to prove that they have been residing in Malaysia for at least ten years.
“The applicant has been resident in the Federation for a total period of not less than ten years in the 12 years including the previous 12 months on the date of submission of the application,” the statement of the government reads.
As for the required documents, the government noted that those applying for citizenship must submit their identification card, their passport, a birth certificate, and three recent passport-size photographs.
Moreover, applicants must also submit other supporting documents, including documents of their spouse and children and documents of their parents and siblings.
Regarding the fee, the authorities explain that it needs to be made in different stages of the application. A fee needs to be paid when registering and another one needs to be paid for the issuance of the citizenship certificate.