Home Ministry clears backlog of applications

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PUTRAJAYA: The Home Minis­try has completed the mammoth task of clearing the backlog of over 140,000 applications for citizenship, entry permits and birth certificates — two months ahead of schedule.

It has processed 143,099 files — 32,927 citizenship, 16,812 entry permit (permanent residence) and 93,360 birth certificate applications — filed between 1997 and December 2006.

Big achievement: Hishammuddin (right) speaking at a press conference at Putrajaya yesterday. With him is Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop.

Announcing his ministry’s achievement of three of its four Key Performance Indicators (KPI) target, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said all applicants would receive their letters — whether approvals or rejections — by Dec 31.

He expressed relief that such a mammoth task ­— completed by 180 employees from the ministry and the National Registration Department who worked round-the-clock including on weekends — had been completed ahead of the set deadline.

Hishammuddin said progress on the fourth KPI, a review of the Internal Security Act (ISA), and tackling crime under the National Key Result Areas (NKRA), was well on track.

“A report on how to improve the processing of such applications is being prepared and I will also meet with the employees involved to gather their feedback.

“We are looking at the red tape that might have been the reason for the delays. I think that insufficient staff was also a reason and the report will help us identify the weaknesses and correct them,” he told a press conference after chairing his ministry’s weekly post-Cabinet meeting here yesterday.

Hishammuddin said completing the task did not mean that his officers could “rest easy” as he had already directed them to start working on the ministry’s next agenda — looking at how the various agencies involved dealt with the processing of tour and education visas and work permits for foreign workers and how it dealt with illegal immigrants.

On the crime reduction target, he said 30 representatives from the police, Attorney-General’s Chambers, courts, government-linked companies and NGOs were currently scrutinising the problem in a live laboratory.

“I have been told that those involved in the laboratory have come up with 60 recommendations, besides those announced before such as the volunteer police, motorcycle patrols, mobile police stations and CCTV,” he said.