BACHOK: The National Registration Department (NRD) is considering a proposal for Malaysians with dual citizenship to voluntarily surrender their MyKads without facing action by the authorities.
NRD director-general Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias said the department currently has no information on the number of dual citizens, including those residing in border areas.
“However, there is a proposal for those who hold dual citizenship to come forward and surrender their MyKads without facing any action.
“We have not made this recommendation yet, but the idea can be considered,” he told a press conference after the handover of MyKads in Kampung Keting.
Datuk Badrul Hisham added that individuals with Malaysian and Thai citizenship who voluntarily renounce one will be referred to a committee and allowed to choose which citizenship they wish to retain.
“There will be no arrests or other action; only a renunciation of citizenship,” he said.
He added that the NRD last discussed the issue of dual citizenship with Thailand in December last year, when border controls were tightened.
It was previously reported that many living along the Kelantan-Thailand border hold dual citizenship, as they have parents with roots in both countries.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
