Home minister defends elected reps helping stateless

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has defended elected representatives’ efforts to assist their stateless constituents with citizenship issues, stressing that the matter should not be politicised.

Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur today, Saifuddin said it is common for elected representatives to receive related queries through their service centres and to resolve them through efforts including hosting briefings on procedures.

“When an elected representative hosts (a programme), look at them through clear eyes.

“They are performing their duties to assist the people to get citizenship legally, that’s all,” he said.

“Don’t ‘cloud’ it as if there is a planned attempt to give out citizenships wholesale (to foreigners).

“The one making the claim is also an MP. Pasir Mas if I’m not mistaken.

“Is he not doing his job? Has his service centre never received such applications?” asked Saifuddin, referring to Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari.

Targeting DAP

Saifuddin added that he had personally received requests for assistance from another “Kelantan MP” whose area borders Thailand, where mixed marriages had given rise to many citizenship issues.

Fadhli, who is also PAS information chief, targeted the DAP for allegedly hosting briefings on citizenship applications, a move which he claimed was “dangerous” and at risk of “burning the nation”.

His claim followed a related function hosted by Penang DAP last month, as well as the postponement of another event by Stulang assemblyperson Andrew Chen who courted backlash over what was first promoted as a “Program Permohonan Kewarganegaraan” or citizen application programme.

However, on Chen’s Facebook, the title was later changed to “Taklimat dan Penerangan Kewarganegaraan (Briefing and explanation on citizenship)” and the June 30 date was postponed indefinitely.

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