KUCHING: The federal government has decided to lower the age for citizenship applications under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution from 21 to 18 years, effective June 2026.
This change calls for greater proactive involvement from parents and guardians, especially in handling cases of children born out of wedlock in Sarawak.
Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the policy change has direct implications for the thousands of citizenship applications received each year, with cases involving children born out of wedlock continuing to record the highest numbers.
“Children born out of wedlock are usually born before their parents’ marriage is legally registered, or involve couples where one parent is a foreign national.
“In such situations, the child follows the mother’s citizenship, and if the mother is not a Malaysian citizen, the child’s citizenship application must be made under Article 15A,” she said.
She was speaking at a press conference after the presentation ceremony of the Sarawak Endowment Funds (EFS) and the 2026 Maternity Assistance on Monday (Jan 19).
Fatimah added that the special committee established specifically for Sarawak serves as a facilitation mechanism to ensure applications are submitted in an orderly manner and meet all documentation requirements before being forwarded to the Citizenship Division in Putrajaya.
“It must be stressed that this committee does not have the authority to approve applications.
“The final decision rests with the Minister of Home Affairs, but our role is to ensure that no application is submitted incomplete or fails to meet the required criteria,” she added.
Commenting on statistics, she said that in 2024, a total of 36 applications were presented to the special committee, while in 2025 the number increased to 63 applications, with the majority involving children born out of wedlock, followed by cases of children under guardianship and adopted children.
In this regard, she called for the active involvement of community leaders and the media in disseminating accurate information to the public, especially in border areas and major urban centres such as Kuching and Miri, which recorded higher numbers of applications.
At the same event, Fatimah also presented citizenship approval letters to two recipients, reflecting the government’s continued commitment to addressing citizenship issues in a gradual and humanitarian manner.
