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THE National Registration Department has never delayed or defied a court order in a case involving a 17-year-old boy who was ordered by the High Court to be granted Malaysian citizenship, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said on Tuesday.
Saifuddin said allegations made earlier by a lawyer representing the teenager had created a misleading public perception, suggesting that the department had deliberately complicated the implementation of the court’s decision.
“First of all, I want to clarify that this case is indeed within the knowledge of the National Registration Department and there is no issue in terms of compliance with the court’s decision.
“Investigations found that the child’s birth certificate was obtained from a private hospital that has been blacklisted by the National Registration Department for being involved in a syndicate issuing birth information illegally,” he said at a press conference.
He explained that the case began when the teenager’s parents visited the department to apply for a MyKad. Initial checks, however, raised concerns after the boy’s physical appearance was found not to resemble the couple claiming to be his parents.
Saifuddin was speaking after officiating at the Kedah-level cheque handover ceremony for the 2026 Early Schooling Assistance programme at the Kedah State Education Department.
In a separate development, he said the nationwide implementation of the Early Schooling Assistance programme was being carried out under strict security controls to mitigate risks during the distribution of funds at schools.
He said the involvement of the Royal Malaysia Police was crucial, as the programme involved the handling of large amounts of cash and was implemented simultaneously across all states.
According to Saifuddin, close coordination between the Home Ministry, the Ministry of Education and the police had been put in place to ensure security throughout the transportation, storage and disbursement of the assistance at school level.
“Overall, the government has allocated RM800 million for the implementation of the Early Schooling Assistance nationwide. When it involves large-scale cash distribution, security aspects cannot be compromised.
“Therefore, security control is given priority by the police at the contingent headquarters and district levels.
“These measures are not only intended to prevent any security risks, but also to give confidence to schools, teachers and parents regarding the transparency and smooth implementation of the assistance,” he said.
Saifuddin also expressed appreciation for the close cooperation of all agencies involved, which he described as a key factor in ensuring that the aid could be distributed in an orderly and safe manner to hundreds of thousands of pupils nationwide.
Meanwhile, he said a total of 336,000 pupils in Kedah benefited from the programme, involving RM50 million distributed through the event.
Each pupil received RM150 in cash assistance, covering 754 schools across the state, with the aim of easing parents’ financial burden ahead of the new school term.
“In Kedah, the State Education Department has set the deadline for the disbursement of the assistance to all schools no later than 30 January,” he said. - January 13, 2026