KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has expressed confidence that the amendment proposal to the Federal Constitution about citizenship will receive support from members of parliament (MPs).
Saifuddin said he is in the process of explaining the matter, to allow a better understanding of the proposed amendment to Malaysia's citizenship laws to the MPs.
"I'm currently engaging a series of briefings to the MPs and I believe that if I have the opportunity to engage and explain the matter, like how I'm explaining this to the reporters and you (reporters) help to write it, the amendments will receive the support it needs from the MPs," he told a press conference after the launch of the PDRM Special Dialogue 2024 today.
Present was Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.
Saifuddin was responding to a question that several MPS had opposed the idea. Among them is Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim.
A news portal reported that Hassan vowed to fight the proposal, especially the part where the government wants to block foundlings from getting automatic citizenship.
Hassan claimed that the government had no reason to amend the provision regarding granting citizenship to abandoned children.
Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh during the debate on the royal address in Dewan Rakyat recently said the government's proposal to amend the Federal Constitution regarding citizenship matters, particularly foundlings, was illogical and unreasonable.
On Friday, Saifuddin said the cabinet had given the green light for the proposed amendments to the constitution over citizenship to be tabled in Dewan Rakyat.
Meanwhile, on criticism by several quarters on the proposed changes to the Federal Constitution, which could jeopardise the future of stateless children, Saifuddin said some processes and laws had to be followed.
He asserted that the government did not deny the citizenship rights of foundling babies, but the application must follow the procedure.
"Will the amendment close the door to foundling babies? The law requires their birth to be reported immediately.
"To get citizenship they must have the police report, medical report, as well as the report by the Welfare Department.
"If all the requirements are met, the baby will be granted citizenship," he said
He said in the case of foundlings within the infancy age applying for citizenship, facts and figures showed that 142 applications were approved from 2013 to date.
"Let the facts and figures speak for themselves. The ministry received over 59,000 applications of foundlings beyond the age of infancy.
"We have processed 35,000 applications, with a success rate of 98 per cent. The remaining 14,000 applications are yet to be processed.
"We are confident that these numbers (14,000) will be solved before Dec 31 (this year)."
He added citizenship can be obtained in three ways, namely law enforcement, registration and naturalisation.