Parents reminded that Article 15A citizenship applications now restricted to under-18s

“KUCHING, May 26 — Women, Childhood and Community Well Being Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah reminded parents that beginning June 1, the special citizenship applications under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution will only be accepted for individuals below 18-years-old. Previously, applications were allowed up to age 21 or 22, she told reporters here yesterday. She said the policy change is in line with efforts to standardise the definition of children. Fatimah said that from June 1 onwards, individuals above the age of 18 will need to apply for citizenship through naturalisation under Article 19(1) of the Federal Constitution, which involves a longer processing period. Earlier, Fatimah chaired the state-level monthly meeting of the Special Committee on Citizenship Status (JKKSK) under Article 15A. She said the meeting’s standard operating procedures and terms of reference focused on verification of applications, facilitating the application process, and submitting recommendations to the JKKSK. All final decisions on citizenship applications are subject to prevailing policies, regulations and mechanisms in force, she added. At the meeting, a total of 95 citizenship applications under Article 15A were presented, comprising illegitimate children (52 applications), children under guardianship (38) and adopted children (5). This brings the total number of Article 15A citizenship applications presented at monthly JKKSK meetings from 2024 to May 25, 2026, to 409 applications. The cumulative applications comprise illegitimate children (243), children under guardianship (136) and adopted children (30). “Sarawak committee meetings are held regularly to clear application backlogs. Two meetings were held this month to expedite processing. All 409 applications received since 2024 have been processed at state committee level and forwarded with recommendations to federal authorities,” Fatimah revealed. “Citizenship is the highest honour bestowed by the Malaysian government and is only granted to qualified individuals of good standing who can make significant contributions to the country and pledge loyalty to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” she added. Also present were Deputy Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Rosey Yunus, the ministry’s permanent secretary Nur Alina Abdullah and National Registration Department state director Mahathir Bujang. — The Borneo Post

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