Malaysia’s Home Ministry (KDN) has officially approved the citizenship applications of seven footballers submitted by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) under the naturalization pathway, as confirmed by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in Parliament on Thursday.
Saifuddin revealed that the approvals are part of a total of 23 cases sanctioned during his tenure and were processed according to Article 19 of the Federal Constitution, which governs citizenship applications by foreign nationals.
“This issue arose following FIFA’s disciplinary action against players of the Harimau Malaya squad,” said Saifuddin.
“Article 19 allows the government to assess and process citizenship applications, and we adhere to three key principles — the applicant must personally submit the request (not through an agent), must have resided in Malaysia for a defined period, and must demonstrate good conduct and sufficient understanding of the Malay language. Upon review, all seven applicants met these criteria.”
However, Saifuddin clarified that the approval process remains incomplete, as the applications must also comply with the 1964 Citizenship Rules, requiring the submission of Form C along with valid passport and supporting documentation.
He further explained FIFA’s eligibility criteria for representing a national team, which include:
1. The player being born in the country;
2. The player’s parent being born in the country;
3. The player’s grandparent being born in the country; or
4. The player having lived continuously in the country for an extended period.
“If any of these conditions are met, the player is eligible to represent the nation and be registered with FIFA. That part, however, falls under FAM’s responsibility,” Saifuddin added.
Credit Photo : LIM BENG TATT/The Star
