Saifuddin said this does not involve changing segments or existing syllabuses related to the basic knowledge of Malaysia’s multicultural society, but rather to create a more relaxed atmosphere during interviews.

“We are trying to create an interview environment that is not too strict and structured,” he said, according to Harian Metro.

“Instead, we want to have a more relaxed atmosphere, especially as some of these applicants are 80 to 90 years old.

“We want to see the interview conducted in a more conducive atmosphere by easing the nerves of applicants.

“When we mention ‘interview’, it is often depicted as something very structured.”

Saifuddin said there was a need to retrain national registration department (JPN) officers, and suggested that interviews for the elderly be done as a group rather than individually.

“The way questions are framed is also important. Instead of asking applicants to state their reason for applying for citizenship, we frame the question carefully by asking why the applicant wants to obtain a blue identity card.”

Saifuddin said about 12,000 naturalisation applications are being processed by JPN. These were filed by applicants born before  independence. The 12,000 are from a total of about 49,000 citizenship applications.

On Oct 23, Saifuddin said the BM proficiency test was one of the reasons why many senior citizens failed in their application for  citizenship.