Deputy minister: Home Ministry resolves 306 Sarawak Article 15A citizenship cases since 2024, 416 still pending

Since 2024, Sarawak's Home Ministry has resolved 306 citizenship cases under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution, according to Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah. The ministry received a total of 722 applications in this period, ranging from September 2024 to September 2026. Out of these, 225 cases were approved, 18 were rejected, leaving 416 applications still pending.

These cases are expected to be brought forward for consideration during the State-Level Special Committee on Citizenship Status meeting this year. Statelessness continues to be a significant issue in Sarawak, particularly affecting remote indigenous communities living in challenging terrains. Many statelessness cases involve children born to foreign fathers, adopted children, or those with delayed marriage legalisation.

Civil society groups have long emphasized that without timely birth registration, obtaining late birth certificates is a difficult bureaucratic process, effectively cutting individuals off from formal documentation from birth. Article 15A grants the federal government special discretion to register individuals under 18 as citizens under exceptional circumstances.