KUALA LUMPUR — Permanent residents who are holders of the red identity card and aged 60 and above will be given citizenship status and issued with the blue identity card, says Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
As for those below the age of 60, he said, the citizenship status would be given based on several conditions, including that they were born in Malaysia and one of their parents should be a Malaysian citizen.
“I want to announce the decision which was made yesterday after a meeting with representatives from the Indian community.
“We discussed the Pakatan Harapan (PH) manifesto to resolve the citizenship problem of the Indians holding the red card identity, involving 3,407 people. So those aged 60 (and above) can get the blue identity card,” he said.
He told reporters this after chairing a meeting of the Special Committee on the Scenario and Management of Foreign Workers in Malaysia at Parliament Building, which was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Human Resource Minister M. Kula Segaran.
Dr Mahathir said there were several other conditions which applicants had to comply with to be given the citizenship status, like having resided in Malaysia for 10 years in the 12 year period immediately preceding the date of application and could show an adequate knowledge of the Malay language.
“To pass the Bahasa Malaysia test is easy. We make it simple, So, if they pass, we can give them the citizenship status,” he said, adding that the process to issue the blue identity card would take some time.
Resolving the citizenship problem of the Indian community is one of the promises in the PH election manifesto in the last general election.
— BERNAMA
