Saifuddin said that the home ministry, under his leadership and that of his predecessors, had approved citizenship for various athletes including Chinese-born racewalker Yuan Yufang and Russian-born sport shooter-turned-coach Irina Maharani, as well as several gymnasts, basketball players and badminton coaches.

Saifuddin was responding to a question from Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) on whether the seven mixed-heritage footballers from the Harimau Malaya squad who were recently sanctioned by Fifa had met the requirements for naturalisation.

The players involved are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Julian Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano.

Fifa said the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had submitted doctored documents to field the players in an Asian Cup qualifier.

The global football body’s probe found falsified documents claiming that the players’ grandparents were Malaysian when records showed they were born in Spain, Argentina, Brazil and the Netherlands.

FAM has maintained that it will appeal the sanctions. It also disputes Fifa’s findings, saying the international football organisation provided no evidence to support its claims.

Saifuddin reiterated that the naturalisation process was done strictly by the book based on three criteria under Article 19 of the Federal Constitution: good character, adequate knowledge of Bahasa Melayu, and residence in Malaysia for the required periods and intention to do so permanently.

He also revealed that 23 footballers, including the seven sanctioned players, had been naturalised as Malaysian citizens throughout his tenure as home minister.

He said the ministry had received 49,000 applications for citizenship, with 6,000 cases still pending.