According to New Straits Times Online, the message, which had been circulating since early this week, had claimed that those holding permanent resident (PR) status will be given immediate citizenship status, if they applied by today.
The crowd started to pour in as early as 3am, comprising Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Cambodians and a large number of Indonesians who held PR status.
NRD Public Relations Officer Fara Maya Ahmad Jelani told the daily that they had been receiving inquiries about the claims since Monday. Today’s crowd was the biggest.
According to the report, NRD had to open more counters at various levels of the building to deal with the crowd.
Fara Maya said applications to become Malaysian citizens are processed on a daily basis at the department, but it actually took months, if not years, to be approved based on the eligibility of the applicant.
She added that some of the PR holders were also reluctant to leave despite being told that the message was false.
Citing the problem caused, the department has lodged a police report on the false message.