BAGAN DATOH, April 12 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today reminded Malaysian citizens residing abroad not to fall for any citizenship offer made by the certain companies or even the opposition parties.

He said Malaysians who renounced their citizenship would find it very hard to get it back, as stated under Regulation 16A of the Immigration Regulations 1963.

“Those who renounce their citizenship will not be forgiven, unless stated in the Regulation 16A, Immigration Regulations 1963.

“So, don’t simply renounce your citizenship, don’t hate the country, don’t leave it with hatred and simply take the first citizenship offer found,” he told reporters after opening the ‘Jom Sihat’ programme organised by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) here today.

He said Malaysian citizens holding a Resident Pass to work or study abroad, on the other hand, would find the process for them to return home, very easy.

“This is because they are professional talents and academicians who will bring along their knowledge home to help Malaysia’s development,” he said.

Meanwhile, Penang Umno Liaison Committee deputy chairman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican lauded the government’s decision not to give citizenship status automatically to over 500 former nationals who had given up their citizenship to become citizens of the United Kingdom.

He said it was indeed a right move as those people obviously did not have feelings of loyalty to the country.

Yesterday, Zahid was reported as saying that only three holders of the British Overseas Citizen (BOC) passports from this country had been allowed to return so far.

He said they were also not given citizenship or permanent resident status but were only given the Resident’s Pass to enable them to be in this country legally in line with the Regulation 16A.

The media had earlier reported that Tanjung Member of Parliament Ng Wei Aik had said that the government had agreed to bring back more than 500 former Malaysian nationals who had given up their citizenship to become citizens of the United Kingdom (UK). — Bernama