When To Conduct BM Test, After Cutting Umbilical Cord? – Surendran Asks Akmal

Umno Youth Chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh proposed that the mastery of the national language should be a condition to Malaysian citizenship.

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Umno Youth Chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh is pushing for a proposal to make mastery of Bahasa Melayu (BM) a prerequisite for obtaining Malaysian citizenship.

If Bangladeshis who come to Malaysia can speak Bahasa Melayu, how can one call themselves citizens but not speak the language?
Umno Youth Chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh

His views come after news of an immigration officer at Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) Komtar, Penang, allegedly refusing to renew a local elderly woman’s passport because she couldn’t speak the national language recently.

This is despite the woman’s son explaining that his mother couldn’t speak the language because she was too poor to go to school.

Akmal’s proposal “lacks logic”

Former MP N Surendran said Akmal’s proposal lacks logic because Malaysian citizenship is determined at birth and depends on the parents’ nationalities.

Surendran suggested Akmal, who’s a medical doctor, study the Federal Constitution to brush up his knowledge regarding citizenship here.

Surendran also sarcastically asked on Twitter whether the BM test should be administered to a baby after it was born or after cutting the umbilical cord.

Cadangan yg kurang logik. Kerakyatan Msia ditentukan masa lahir, dan bergantung kpd kerakyatan ibu /bapa. Bacalah Perlembagaan. Jadi bila nak buat ujian BM? Masa baru lahir di wad bersalin? Lepas potong tali pusat? pic.twitter.com/ui5bJNwXVe
— N.Surendran (@nsurendrann) April 25, 2024

Some netizens agree that mastering BM shouldn’t be a prerequisite for all. For example, they believe foreigners who want to apply for Malaysian citizenship should master the national language.

However, they also believe the criteria shouldn’t apply or at least be flexible to Malaysians born here.

For the record, a basic grasp of Bahasa Melayu is part of the condition for Malaysian citizenship application.

I think he refers those who asked for citizenship.. for those who entitled it, they shouldnt have to go the test. But, i feel, in the future, it would be a requirement those that wants to work in Malaysia… they have to pass BM
— mba trader (@trader_mba) April 25, 2024

Itu lain cerita la .. Dia cakap tu merujuk pada yg mohon kewarganegaraan.. Jgn la panik.. Aiyoooo
— imhaniron (@imhaniron_7) April 25, 2024

Is Malaysian citizenship determined by IC or Passport?

A child born in Malaysia to Malaysian parents is automatically a Malaysian citizen by right and law.

Malaysian citizenship is proven with the possession of a Malaysian birth certificate and MyKid for children under 12. Malaysian citizens would have a MyKad (NRIC) once they are past 12 years old.

All Malaysians must have a MyKad but not necessarily a Malaysian passport.

What happened to the elderly woman’s passport?

According to the Immigration Department director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh in a statement, the woman was able to renew her passport and collected it on Monday (22 April)

Ruslin clarified that the department’s officers cannot reject passport renewals or first-time applications simply because the applicant failed to master the national language.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail previously reiterated that fluency in Bahasa Melayu had never been specified as a condition to obtain a passport.

However, Saifuddin added that the public is expected to be able to converse in basic Bahasa Melayu while interacting with staff at government counters to facilitate proceedings.

The debate to make mastery of BM as a condition to obtain a passport has been brought up before.

Last year, Saifuddin himself defended his stance on the requirement for Malaysian passport holders to be proficient in Bahasa Melayu.

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