Saifuddin gave his commitment to ensure they are all resolved before Oct 17, 2025, by pointing out that the ministry had successfully processed 32,153 applications since he took on the portfolio in December 2022.

“This is my personal promise to Parliament,” he told the Dewan Rakyat in winding-up the debate on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024.

Saifuddin said his ministry has already processed 19,307 applications this year, surpassing his initial target of 17,000.

He added that 80% of these applications were cases that had been pending for over five years.

Saifuddin said the SOPs for handling complex cases, such as children born out of wedlock and adopted children, have also been drawn up.

“We have now finalised SOPs for Sections 15A and 19(1) (of the Federal Constitution), which concern citizenship by registration and naturalisation. These SOPs will ensure that the process is transparent and applicants are told of the required documents upfront.

“With the new SOPs, applicants will know earlier if their documents are incomplete, reducing the risk of rejection after a long wait,” he said.