KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — The Home Ministry will procedurally inform citizenship applicants why they were unsuccessful starting next year, the Parliament was told today.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman told the Lower House during Question Time that currently, the National Registration Department did not explain why citizenship applications were rejected.

“We will study each application. The applicants must apply first and if we find any problems, we will inform them (what their mistake was) and how they can update the information that we did not receive.

“Each application will be studied on whether or not the person applying is qualified and the documents attached,” said Azis in his reply to a question by Padang Serai (PH) lawmaker M Karupaiya.

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Also next year, a timeframe will be introduced for certain citizenship application processes such as from naturalisation or parents who are Malaysian citizens.

The NRD will take three months and 14 days while the Home Ministry will take eight months before the application process will be completed.

However, for other citizenship application cases under the Federal Constitution, there will be no time frame as each application will be studied on a case by case basis.

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“No timeframe can be determined because each case is different and the police needs to filter the application,” said Azis.

From 2018 up till September 15 this year, the Home Ministry has received 24,466 applications — out of which 5,784 were granted citizenship.

The five top home countries that received Malaysian citizenship are Indonesia with 2,028 successful applications, India with 548 successful applications, Thailand at 416, the Philippines with 239 successful applications and Vietnam with 130 successful applications.