Malaysia to announce start date for citizenship amendments for children of overseas-born mothers

During a meet-and-greet in Kulim, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced that the Home Ministry will soon reveal the effective date for amendments granting citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian women, pending completion of administrative preparations. The ministry has completed the necessary documentation, revised citizenship regulations and obtained confirmation from the Attorney General’s Chambers, and is setting up an online application platform that will involve Malaysian representative offices worldwide.

The date, determined by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, will be announced after all outstanding matters are settled. Of the estimated 50,000 outstanding citizenship applications, roughly 7,000 concern children of Malaysian mothers, with only hundreds still undecided while the old applications are processed. Once the amendments are in force, new applications will be handled under the updated provisions, and the ministry aims to resolve the remaining 4,121 cases this year, focusing on the four constitutional categories with the highest volumes.