KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA Oct 9, 2025 – Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today clarified that to date, a total of 23 football players have been granted Malaysian citizenship through the naturalization process under Article 19 of the Federal Constitution since 2018.
In a statement in Parliament earlier, he emphasized that the process fully complies with the country’s legal provisions, including the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957, with no false data entries involved.
“Applications for citizenship under Article 19 are made only after the federal government is satisfied with three main matters: the applicant has resided in the Federation for the required period and intends to continue residing permanently; the applicant is of good character; and the applicant has sufficient knowledge of the Malay language,” said Saifuddin Nasution.
He added that applications in this category are only made by full foreign citizens, and applicants must fill out Form C in accordance with the Citizenship Rules 1964. The process involves providing documents such as passports and other identification, which are then processed by the National Registration Department (JPN) before a decision is issued.
Regarding the residency requirement, Saifuddin Nasution referred to Section 20(1)(e) of the Second Schedule, Part 3 of the Federal Constitution, which allows exemptions for the residency period for individuals who are abroad for certain reasons specified by the Minister.
“This section allows exemptions to be granted for the residency period, as permitted by the Federal Constitution. Once the residency requirement is deemed fulfilled, security screening is conducted and found to be clear, while Malay language knowledge is assessed as sufficient, the applicant is considered to meet all requirements,” he added.
He also addressed issues related to FIFA regulations, specifically the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes, Standing Orders of the Congress, Part 4, which must be complied with by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to register players.
According to FIFA regulations, a player is eligible to represent a country if they meet at least one of four conditions: born in the country’s territory; mother or father born there; grandfather or grandmother born there; or has lived in the territory for at least five years.
In the context of these applications, Saifuddin Nasution explained the use of Section 10A of the Births and Deaths Registration Act, which allows the Registrar General (Director General of JPN) to register births – including details of grandfathers or grandmothers – if satisfied with the evidence submitted.
“Section 10A allows JPN to issue valid birth registration documents under Malaysian law. This distinguishes the citizenship approval process from FIFA registration requirements. There is no requirement to submit birth certificates of grandfathers or grandmothers for citizenship applications under Article 19, unless relevant to FIFA’s heritage criteria,” he said.
He stressed that all documents issued by JPN are valid and authoritative, and no false data entries occurred. “We are accountable to Parliament and the people of Malaysia, so all sources and documents used are authoritative and valid.”
Saifuddin Nasution also confirmed that the seven FAM players involved comply with the requirements of Article 19 of the Federal Constitution.
Further Explanation to Media Questions
Speaking to reporters after the Parliament session, he corrected the reference to Section 20(1)(i), Second Schedule, Part 3 of the Federal Constitution – not Section 20(1)(e) as initially mentioned – which allows the Minister to grant exemptions for the residency period.
“This is not the first time we have used this provision. In previous studies and practices, we have granted citizenship status to applicants deemed capable of contributing to the country – whether CEOs, engineers, scientists, or doctors. There must be a reason why the Constitution provides for it in this manner,” he explained.
Regarding Section 10A, he added: “The Registrar General may, if satisfied with the evidence submitted – whether documents or statements during interviews – make a decision based on the information provided. Thus, Section 10A is sufficient.”
Saifuddin Nasution also stated that he has no further information regarding claims of FAM staff mistakenly uploading documents, adding that police investigation could be considered if a report is made. “This is the first time I have explained this to the media. It should be clear by now – Article 19, the method of granting citizenship, the Births and Deaths Registration Act, and the sections involved.”
He confirmed that all citizenship applications comply with the country’s legal provisions, and there are no further issues at this stage.