SANDAKAN: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has assured that all citizenship matters, including applications from football players, are handled strictly in line with the Federal Constitution.
He said the process is carried out carefully through a ministry-level committee chaired by the Secretary-General, with thorough checks on documents, interviews, biometric collection and verification.
Saifuddin stressed that applicants must have resided in Malaysia and cannot apply for citizenship while living abroad, as residency is a basic requirement under the naturalisation process.
He added that the Fifa disciplinary action against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven national players over alleged falsification of documents was a matter solely between Fifa and FAM, and did not involve the Home Ministry.
Speaking after a visit to review the implementation of Budi95 here, Saifuddin said every application is vetted properly, including claims of family lineage connections to Malaysia in places such as Melaka, Penang, Kuching or Kota Kinabalu.
