‘Apa Khabar?’ and the price of Malaysian citizenship

In the wake of controversy surrounding seven Malaysian footballers who received citizenship, the Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail defended the level of Malay knowledge required for the process. He explained that the applicants were taught basic Malay phrases such as "Apa khabar?" (How are you?), "Khabar baik" (I am well), "Terima kasih" (Thank you), and "Sama-sama" (You are welcome) before their interviews.

Saifuddin clarified that the requirement is merely "adequate knowledge," not fluency or in-depth understanding. However, the controversy extends beyond language competence, as the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) discovered irregularities in the citizenship approvals, including the use of falsified documents by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

The EAIC criticized the government for insufficient scrutiny of the applications, irregular procedures, and failures in security screening, Malay language assessments, and renunciation of foreign citizenship. Furthermore, the FIFA's Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) verified that falsified documents were used to claim Malaysian family links for the players, leading to a 12-month suspension and a fine against FAM.

While Saifuddin has the power to approve special cases under the Constitution, the EAIC emphasized that this does not justify negligence or lack of due diligence in the process. The government must provide a comprehensive account of the evidence supporting the citizenship approvals, clarify which documents were submitted and relied upon by the authorities, and explain the verification methods used for falsified documents.

As Malaysia does not recognize dual citizenship, the government should elucidate how they dealt with requirements related to the surrender of foreign passports in each case. The incident also casts doubts on fairness for other citizenship applicants who typically face lengthy waiting periods and have lived in Malaysia for extended periods.

The language test might be met by rehearsed exchanges, but the larger question remains whether the government can prove that officials verified the evidence, adhered to the rules, and applied them in an appropriate manner. The government should show transparency in the process to restore public trust and ensure that citizenship remains a legally sound status, not an empty favor.