ALOR SETAR: It is misleading for a group of lawyers to claim that the National Registration Department (NRD) was delaying the issuance of a MyKad to a 17-year-old male student, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pic). “The parents themselves admitted that the birth certificate was obtained illegally when the child was a baby. Claims that the NRD is complicating the procedure or requiring the support of elected representatives are untrue,” Saifuddin Nasution was quoted as saying by Bernama. Meanwhile, Saifuddin Nasution said the number of outstanding citizenship applications has been significantly reduced, from about 50,000 to fewer than 4,000 over the past three years. In a separate development, Lawyers for Liberty reportedly said it would not proceed with contempt of court proceedings against Saifuddin Nasution and the NRD as the department had accepted the teenager’s MyKad application.

Source: The Star January 14, 2026 04:59 UTC