Saifuddin acknowledged that concerns about certain groups being overlooked persist, as seen through the issues raised before and during the debate in the Dewan Rakyat today.
“Ultimately, all opinions, criticisms, and suggestions concerning this bill have been reviewed and brought forward for today’s debate in the interest of national security and public order in Malaysia, which we all love.
“I assure you that after years of hard work, no group will be excluded or neglected in this amendment,” he told a press conference at Parliament today.
The debate on the amendments is still ongoing, and MPs are expected to vote on the matter tomorrow.
Saifuddin addressed several concerns raised regarding citizenship for children of permanent residents, saying that the amendments aim to prevent dual citizenship.
“It is the responsibility of the parents to report the birth of their children to the respective embassy to secure the nationality of their country of origin.”
Saifuddin further assured that the citizenship rights of indigenous groups are protected under Articles 160 and 161 of the Federal Constitution, subject to documents required under the law.
Regarding the issue of making the amendments retrospective, he said it was recommended that they be implemented prospectively, according to standard legal practices.
“When discussing a deliberative approach, it is neither retroactive nor prospective; rather, it is a careful method applied on a case-by-case basis,” he said, adding that other countries have done the same.
On the issue of language proficiency requirements for citizenship applications, Saifuddin said the Bahasa Malaysia requirement applies to foreign spouses.
“A foreign husband can receive a spouse visa for five years, followed by a red identity card for 12 years, after which he can apply for citizenship,” he said.
He clarified that the language proficiency test involves cultural questions.
“For example, we ask questions about cultural elements, like identifying a festival from a picture of muruku (an Indian delicacy), rather than following a strict script.”