Kuala lumpur: A total of 23 football players have been granted Malaysian citizenship through the naturalisation process since 2018, including seven national heritage players who were approved in accordance with all legal and constitutional provisions, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Saifuddin Nasution stated that each application is processed in accordance with Article 19 of the Federal Constitution and the Citizenship Rules 1964. These regulations set three main conditions: the applicant must be a resident in Malaysia, possess good conduct, and have sufficient knowledge of the Malay language. He clarified these points during Minister’s Question Time (MQT) at Dewan Rakyat in response to a query by Zakri Hassan (PN-Kangar) about the statistics and qualifications for naturalised players since 2018.
Saifuddin emphasized that the naturalization process for the seven players involved comprehensive screening and assessment by the National Registration Department (NRD), including interviews and biometric checks. He asserted that the process adhered strictly to the constitutional and legal frameworks, addressing concerns raised about document preparation periods and potential forgery issues.
Previously, media reports indicated that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the seven national naturalised players were sanctioned by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee for violating Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) related to document forgery. The players involved are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano.
Saifuddin also noted that KDN has approved citizenship applications for athletes in other sports, such as gymnastics, shooting, basketball, and badminton, along with highly skilled individuals in fields like science, medicine, and engineering.
At a press conference, Saifuddin elaborated on the use of exemption powers under Section 20(1)(i) of the Second Schedule of Part Three of the Federal Constitution. This provision allows the minister to grant citizenship status to the seven footballers without legal violations, considering them as residents in Malaysia even if they are abroad for reasonable reasons.
He explained that the NRD employs Section 10A of the Birth and Death Registration Act 1957 for birth re-registration when the registrar general is satisfied with the evidence presented. He clarified that including a grandparent’s birth certificate is unnecessary under Article 19.
Addressing allegations of forgery, Saifuddin asserted that all documents issued by the NRD are valid and compliant with Malaysian law. He also stated that rules for representing the country are governed by FIFA Statutes, which determine eligibility for heritage players, distinguishing between international football regulations and national citizenship laws.