The National Registration Department (JPN) has dismissed viral claims suggesting that the presence of foreigners at its counters was linked to applications for Malaysian identity cards (MyKad).
JPN clarified that not everyone visiting its counters is applying for or collecting a MyKad, as the department also provides various registration and documentation services involving foreign nationals.
Among the services are the registration of births, which is compulsory regardless of the nationality of a child’s parents.
The department stressed that registering a child’s birth in Malaysia does not automatically grant Malaysian citizenship.
“Pink birth certificates serve as proof that a birth has been registered in Malaysia, but they do not mean that the child is a Malaysian citizen. The certificate is also issued to non-citizens,” JPN said in a Facebook post.
JPN added that foreigners may also visit its offices for other services, including civil marriages involving foreign spouses.
It urged the public not to draw conclusions based solely on seeing foreigners at JPN offices without knowing the purpose of their visit.
The clarification came after several videos went viral on social media yesterday, allegedly showing Rohingya refugees at a JPN office.
An X user had claimed that the individuals were at the department to obtain MyKads, prompting the department to issue the clarification.
