267 citizenship applications from S’wak approved since Aug 2016, says Fatimah

KUCHING: A total of 267 citizenship applications from Sarawak have been approved under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution since August 2016, said Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.

The Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister said of the total, 14 citizenship applications were approved in

March this year.

“The rest, which is 253 citizenship applications, were approved between August 2016 and June last year,” she disclosed in a statement issued following a visit to Sunway Traditional and Complementary Medicine Centre and Sunway Fertility Centre at Canaan Square Business Hub, Jalan Stutong

Baru here yesterday.

Fatimah also said a total of 1,044 citizenship applications from Sarawak were sent to Putrajaya between 2016 and March this year.

During the same period, she added, 26 special working committee meetings were also called to deliberate the applications.

And in March this year, a special working committee meeting had been called to look into 75 citizenship applications received.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic last year, she said two special working committee meetings were called in April and October to discuss a total of 246 citizenship applications received.

Between January and June 2019, she said five meetings were called to go through 164 citizenship applications received.

Fatimah also said 2018 saw the most number of citizenship applications at 318.

In the same year, she added, six special working committee meetings were called to look into these applications.

“In 2017, we had 10 special working committee meetings which saw a total of 174 citizenship applications being laid upon,” she said.

She added a total of 67 citizenship applications were received in 2016 when two special working committee meetings were called to address the matter.