PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry aims to resolve up to 10,000 applications for Malaysian citizenship this year.
Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the ministry's effort to facilitate the process was being done without compromising any conditions set under the law.
He said in his four months since becoming the home minister, he had resolved more than 5,600 cases related to citizenship and it was only logical that the ministry continued to do more in regards to the issue.
"I have gone through more than 5,600 applications, and we make sure we go through each and every one of them based on merit.
"After thousands of applications vetted in the past, we are targeting to resolve 10,000 applications this year.
"Even with this number as our target, we will not compromise on any aspect because the rules are stated very clearly. We have clear guidelines, " he said during a dialogue with members of the media at the ministry here today.
Saifuddin said granting citizenship status was done on a case by case basis, and it was only given when a person's status and documentations were in order.
"The National Registration Department will never make a decision which contravenes the law. It is always about going back to the correct procedures," he said.
He said such requirements were also taken into consideration when it involved granting citizenship to children born to Malaysian mothers overseas.
He said what sets the Unity Government apart from the previous administration was its political will to resolve such an issue.
"One should ask the 'characters' in (previous administrations) on why it was not done because there has not been much variables (in the situation ) for us not to do it even in the past 15 years."
On Feb 17, the cabinet had agreed to amend the Federal Constitution, allowing children born to Malaysian mothers abroad to obtain Malaysian citizenship automatically.
