Wanita MCA notes the Home Ministry’s assurance that all citizenship applications submitted this year will receive a decision within one year, and that outstanding applications will be resolved in 2026. This commitment, if implemented transparently and consistently, could bring long-awaited relief to many families who have lived in prolonged uncertainty.

In particular, the elderly born and bred and have resided in Malaysia all their lives can finally breath a sign of relief of possessing a blue MyKad or that pre-schoolers and school-going children, will no longer be subjected to bureaucratic hurdles on the first day of school, while there will be greater employment opportunities for young adults. All-in-all, these segments of society may finally enjoy the cherished privileges of access to public healthcare and education that come with citizenship.

While setting a timeline for decisions is a positive step, Wanita MCA stresses that clarity on remedies is equally crucial, particularly for applicants whose applications are rejected. The Home Ministry must clearly explain what options are available to unsuccessful applicants, including whether there will be a formal and accessible appeal mechanism, the procedures and documentation required for an appeal, and how long the appeal process will take before results are known.

Without clear appeal pathways and reasonable timelines, a faster decision process alone risks replacing long delays with finality that offers no meaningful recourse. Citizenship applications involve fundamental rights and life opportunities, and decisions that negatively affect applicants must be accompanied by transparent justifications and fair remedial channels.

For more than a decade, Wanita MCA has been at the forefront of advocating for citizenship rights, especially for the right of Malaysian mothers married to a non-Malaysian spouse, to confer citizenship to their infants born overseas, and families trapped in prolonged bureaucratic uncertainty. Wanita MCA has consistently assisted affected families, raised individual cases with the authorities, and pushed for systemic reforms to ensure fairness, transparency and compassion in citizenship administration.

Citizenship is not merely an administrative process; it determines access to education, healthcare, employment and a dignified future. As such, Wanita MCA calls on the Home Ministry to complement its one-year decision pledge with comprehensive guidelines on rejections, appeals and accountability mechanisms.

According to the Parliamentary reply, as of 31 December last year, 3,738 citizenship applications were still pending a decision. Between 2022 and last year, the Home Ministry assessed 52,444 applications, including backlog cases, approving 34,423 and rejecting 18,021. In addition, more than 34,000 citizenship applications were approved over the past three years. These figures highlight both the scale of the issue and the urgent need for clear, fair and humane policies to address cases that are rejected.

Chan Quin Er
Wanita MCA Secretary General
MCA Information Chief

29 January 2026

-MCA Comm-