Over 34,000 citizenship applications approved in 3 years

Home minister says 3,738 applications remain pending as of Dec 31 last year.

Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has assured the public that all pending citizenship applications will be resolved this year.

PETALING JAYA:

 A total of 34,423 citizenship applications have been approved over the past three years, reflecting the government’s ongoing efforts to process both backlog and new applications efficiently, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

He said there were 49,000 pending applications when he assumed office in December 2022. Between 2022 and 2025, the ministry evaluated these pending applications and also new applications received during the same period.

“In total, 52,444 applications were decided,” he said in a written parliamentary reply.

“Of these, 34,423 were approved, while 18,021 applications were rejected.

“The approvals covered applications under various provisions of Part III of the Federal Constitution, including Articles 15A, 15(2), 19, and 30.”

Saifuddin said 3,738 applications remain pending, consisting of cases still under review and awaiting final decisions, as of Dec 31 last year.

He was responding to a parliamentary question by Kamal Ashaari (PN-Kuala Krau), who requested details on citizenship applications, including the number approved, rejected, and pending.

Saifuddin assured the public that all pending applications would be resolved in 2026, and new applications would be processed and decided within one year of receiving complete submissions. - FMT