Kuala lumpur: As of May 31 this year, 3,640 citizenship applications in Sabah were still pending, while 10 had been approved and citizenship certificates issued to the successful applicants. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah revealed these figures while discussing the status of citizenship applications and efforts to expedite the process.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, for late birth registration applications in Sabah, 2,659 applications had been approved, while 611 were still being processed. The Home Ministry (KDN) is committed to expediting decisions on citizenship applications, particularly those involving late birth registration, through improvements to procedures, shorter waiting times, and greater transparency in providing information to applicants.
The ministry has enhanced the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for citizenship applications under Article 15A, Article 15(2), and Article 19(1) of the Federal Constitution by setting a processing period of one year from the date complete documents are received until a final decision is made. In addition, applications for late birth registration can now be submitted at all National Registration Department (NRD) offices nationwide, as well as through the Menyemai Kasih Rakyat (MEKAR) programme.
Shamsul Anuar also mentioned that the Sabah Special Committee on Citizenship Status is expected to meet at the end of July or early August to consider 1,018 applications. He added that decision-making authority for late birth registration applications had been delegated to the NRD offices in Sabah to expedite the processing and resolution of cases. The MEKAR programme has been expanded, particularly in rural and remote areas.
The Home Ministry has strengthened strategic cooperation between the NRD, the Sabah government, community leaders, hospitals, schools, welfare agencies, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to identify individuals who have yet to obtain identity documents and assist them in completing the necessary supporting documents. Shamsul Anuar explained that applications recorded as 'approved' by the NRD refer only to cases in which citizenship certificates have been issued and handed over to applicants.
Applications approved by the Home Ministry but whose citizenship certificates have yet to be printed and issued are still recorded as 'being processed' in the NRD system. Responding to a supplementary question on late birth registration cases, Shamsul Anuar stated that the main reasons for delays included a lack of awareness among parents or guardians about the requirement to register births within the prescribed period, as well as family-related issues, financial constraints, and incomplete supporting documents.