PUTRAJAYA: The automatic granting of citizenship to children born abroad to Malaysian mothers is expected to take effect around June or July this year.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the long lead time is due to the need for several preparatory steps following Parliament’s approval of the constitutional amendment.
“One of the most important steps was finalising two versions of the 1964 Citizenship Regulations in both Malay and English.
“That has been completed and reviewed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers,” he told reporters at a press conference after attending the 2026 Home Ministry Ministerial Address.
Saifuddin added that the ministry is also preparing the necessary documents and forms, which will be communicated to Malaysian representatives worldwide, before the regulations receive official gazettement.
“If all these milestones are met, we expect the process to be in force by June or July, allowing children born abroad to automatically acquire Malaysian citizenship.”
He described the move as a key achievement in promoting fairness for mothers who have long faced challenges in securing citizenship for their children.
Saifuddin said that while this initiative is underway, ongoing citizenship applications continue to be processed without delay.
For 2025, the ministry set a target to decide on 20,000 citizenship applications.
As of yesterday, Saifuddin said, 20,032 applications had been resolved, surpassing the target.
Of the nearly 50,000 pending applications from previous years, fewer than 4,000 remain outstanding, with plans to clear long-standing cases dating back five to 15 years by the first quarter of this year.
“This is a milestone and sets the direction for the future,” he said, referring to both the pending applications and the upcoming implementation of the constitutional amendment regarding children born overseas.
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