KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry (KDN) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) have introduced a new Malay language proficiency test module to assess the national language skills of individuals applying for Malaysian citizenship. Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced that this initiative aligns with additional requirements introduced in the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Minister Saifuddin explained that the inclusion of language proficiency as a requirement is justified as the Federal Constitution recognises Malay as the official language. He noted that other countries like Canada, the United States, Germany, and France also mandate language proficiency for citizenship applications. The remarks were made during the winding-up session of the Bill in the Dewan Negara.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024, among its various provisions, seeks to revise Clause (1) of Article 15 of the Federal Constitution concerning citizenship by registration for spouses an
d children of citizens. It includes a new provision requiring applicants to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the Malay language. The bill was passed with the support of 50 senate members through a bloc vote after debates by 33 senators, while five members were absent.

Saifuddin Nasution also addressed the government’s decision not to adopt a retroactive approach to the amendments. He stated that KDN had studied best practices from several countries, including Singapore, before finalising its decision. He explained that a forward-looking implementation is deemed most appropriate for Malaysia, as a retroactive approach would complicate the process with questions about how far back to apply the changes. However, he assured that this decision does not affect the eligibility of children born to Malaysian mothers before the enactment of the new law to obtain citizenship.

The Dewan Negara session will continue tomorrow.