PUTRAJAYA: About 16,000 people have received Malaysian citizenship after waiting for years as the government speeds up the processing of applications.
They make up about half of 32,900 people who had applied for citizenship between 1997 and 2006, after living in the country as permanent residents for more than a decade.
The Home Ministry's secretary-general, Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam, said yesterday the ministry was committed to completing the processing of applications for citizenship by the end of the year.
It is also working to clear the backlog in applications for late birth registrations, permanent resident status, entry permits and registration of births in Sabah and Sarawak by the end of the year.
Mahmood said the ministry was also dealing with 5,800 appeals from those whose applications for permanent residence were rejected
He said once the current batch of citizenship backlogged cases was settled, future applications would be dealt with within a year.
He said in processing the estimated 32,900 applications, the government was flexible in the case of those who were aged above 60.
"It suffices if they are able to communicate. We do not expect them to speak or write in perfect Bahasa Malaysia.
"Many of them have children and even grandchildren who are Malaysians."
Mahmood, his deputy Datuk Raja Azahar Raja Abdul Manap, the ministry's Immigration Affairs division secretary Datuk Alias Ahmad and National Registration and Societies division secretary Datin Jariah Mohd Said had earlier led a media tour of a special unit which processes the applications around the clock.
Mahmood said every application for citizenship was thoroughly checked in terms of documentation and the applicant's background to ensure people who were not ineligible did not slip through the system.
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