The home minister said that 80% of the applications were approved, while the rest were rejected due to incomplete documentation and failure to pass security checks.

“Applicants were notified by the national registration department of their processed applications. We can only move on to the next step after they get their letters.

“They have to come to the department and make a payment, after which their certificates of citizenship will be released, and they can get the related personal documentation,” he said in a press conference at his ministry.

Earlier, Saifuddin handed over letters of citizenship to 35 children aged six to 16 years old who were birthed by Malaysian mothers outside the country, including in Canada, Denmark, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India and Qatar.

According to Article 15(2) of the Federal Constitution, subject to Article 18, applications for citizenship made by the parents or guardians of any person under the age of 21 can be approved if one of the parents is a citizen.

In a related development, Saifuddin said stateless children aged 18 and above would still have a chance to obtain citizenship after the constitutional amendment on citizenship rights for children birthed by Malaysian mothers outside the country is finalised.

He said that for older stateless children, Article 15(a) is their pathway to citizenship.

Under the constitution, subject to Article 18, the federal government may in such special circumstances as it thinks fit cause any person under the age of 21 to be registered as a citizen.

Saifuddin said he was prepared to meet any party, including the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia and Malaysian Bar, to find a consensus on the amendment.