PETALING JAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail yesterday told the Dewan Rakyat a total of 23 footballers have been granted Malaysian citizenship through naturalisation since 2018.
Responding to Kangar MP Zakri Hassan, who asked about the number of naturalised players and the criteria used, Saifuddin said all approvals were made in accordance with constitutional provisions and legal procedures.
“From the total number of footballers we have approved, 23 were granted citizenship, including seven most recently.
“How many applications have been submitted? Forty-nine thousand. How many are still pending? Six thousand, since I took office.”
He said there are four constitutional pathways to Malaysian citizenship: by operation of law (Articles 14 and 30), by registration (Articles 15(1), 15(2) and 15A) and by naturalisation (Article 19).
“Under Article 19, foreign nationals may apply for citizenship through naturalisation if they meet three main requirements; residence in the country for a specified period, good character verified through security vetting and sufficient command of the Malay language.”
Applications must be submitted personally and go through biometric checks and interviews conducted by the National Registration Department.
He also said the Home Ministry acts under Section 20(2)(c) of the Second Schedule, Part III of the Constitution, which empowers the minister to waive or shorten the residency requirement, adding that Section 20(1)(e) also allows flexibility for applicants who may reside abroad but could still be recognised as “residents” for the purpose of citizenship.
On the Malay language requirement, Saifuddin said the benchmark has been adjusted following requests from lawmakers to ease the standard for certain groups, particularly senior citizens.
“Previously, the proficiency level was set at Level 8. After listening to members of this House, we reduced it to Level 2 for specific categories. For naturalisation, the applicant must at least understand when spoken to.”
He emphasised that the naturalisation process was not exclusive to athletes.
“Under Article 19, approvals have not only involved footballers. We have also granted citizenship to gymnasts, walkers, badminton coaches, scientists, doctors, engineers and CEOs.”
Addressing the ongoing Fifa dispute, he said the government’s role ends once citizenship is granted, while eligibility to represent Malaysia at international competitions is determined solely by Fifa regulations.
“To represent a country, a player must fulfil at least one of these criteria; being born in the country, having a parent or grandparent born here or having lived continuously in the country for a certain period.”
He added that the Home Ministry’s procedures were valid and constitutional, and that allegations of falsified documents were a matter strictly between the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Fifa.
The issue of naturalised players has resurfaced after Fifa imposed 12-month bans on seven foreign-born footballers and fined FAM RM1.8 million for allegedly submitting false documents to claim Malaysian heritage.
The sanctions followed Malaysia’s 4-0 victory over Vietnam on June 10 in the Asian Cup qualifiers, in which the players featured.
Fifa said its investigation found discrepancies in the players’ claims that their grandparents were born in Malaysia.
FAM, however, has dismissed the allegations as baseless and lodged an appeal, arguing that all affected players followed proper procedures under Malaysian law.
