KUALA TERENGGANU, 6 Jan 2009: Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said today the backlog of 33,000 Malaysian citizenship and entry permit applications will be resolved in six months.
He said a special task force comprising the National Registration Department and Immigration Department had been set up in November to deal with the matter.
“There are many foreigners wanting to make Malaysia their place of domicile. However, not all of them can be granted with the citizenship status or entry permits as they need to fulfil certain criteria,” he said.
Syed Hamid said it would be easier to consider the applications of those who had business interests in the country or those with expertise or high qualification because they would be able to contribute to the country.
Speaking to reporters after attending the award of citizenships to 20 individuals and entry permits to 79 others, here, Syed Hamid said, the backlog of applications was high as they had to undergo various stages and processes. — Bernama
