The National Registration Department (JPN) is reviewing a proposal that would allow Malaysians holding dual citizenship to voluntarily surrender their MyKad without facing legal consequences.
JPN director-general Datuk Badrul Hisham said the idea is still in the early stages and has not been officially presented to the government.
“We have not formally proposed this suggestion yet, but it is an option we are considering,” he told reporters. “The process would involve the deprivation of one citizenship only, without arrests or additional legal action. Individuals can decide which nationality they wish to keep.”
He spoke after officiating a MyKad presentation ceremony in Kampung Keting, Kelantan.
Badrul explained that Malaysians with both Malaysian and Thai citizenship who come forward to renounce one nationality would be referred to a dedicated committee tasked with processing such cases.
“There will be no enforcement actions. It is simply a renunciation process,” he said.
He noted that JPN previously discussed dual citizenship issues with Thai authorities in December last year, when both countries tightened border controls.
Under Malaysian law, dual citizenship is not permitted. A Malaysian can lose their citizenship if proven to hold another nationality, subject to the procedures outlined under Articles 24(1) and 24(2) of the Federal Constitution.
Many residents living along the Kelantan–Thailand border are known to hold dual citizenship due to family ties spanning both sides of the border.
