Task force to look into citizenship woes

The Home Ministry and the National Registration Department (NRD) have formed a task force to see to citizenship applications from foreigners, said Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

He said the ministry hoped to resolve issues involving applications from foreigners to become Malaysians by the end of the year.

Hishammuddin said the department received more than 4,000 citizenship applications from foreigners every month.

They included those residing in Malaysia who have temporary work visas, student passes, employment visas, social visit passes under the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme and other types of visit passes issued by the Immigration Department.

“If the process runs well, we hope the applications can be settled by the end of this year,” he told Dr P. Ramasamy (DAP – Batu Kawan) in a written reply.

In another written reply to Liew Chin Tong (DAP – Bukit Bendera), Hishammuddin said the NRD received 193,537 applications for permanent residence identity cards from 2006 to May 31 this year.

Meanwhile, a total of 11,054 foreigners from 24 countries have joined the MM2H programme since 2002, Hishammuddin said.

The Star