Malaysia

The Federation of Malaysia (Malay: Persekutuan Malaysia) or simply Malaysia (Simplified Chinese: ????; Pinyin: M?láix?y?, Tamil: ???????) is a country in Southeast Asia. It consists of two geographical regions divided by the South China Sea:

Citizenship

All Malaysian are Federal citizens with no formal citizenships within the individual states. Every citizen is issued with an identity card at birth (MyKid card for persons under the age 12 and MyKad for persons above the age of 12) and must carry the card with him. A citizen is required to present the card to police, or in the case of an emergency, to any military personnel, to be identified.

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Malaysia has some of the tightest controls in the world on granting citizenship to aliens. Only in the state of Penang is any person born there granted automatic citizenship regardless of the citizenship of the parents. In all other Malaysian states, the citizenship of the father is considered to be the citizenship of the child. No Malaysian birth certificates will be issued to the child, and the family is required to register the birth of the child in their own embassy or high commission. Women who are seven or more months pregnant are not allowed entry into Malaysia.

Related Topics:
Aliens - Penang - Embassy - High commission

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Many operations and raids have been conducted to rid Malaysia of illegal aliens. However due to good relationships with neighbouring countries, illegal aliens are often sent back to their country of origin. The bulk of the illegal aliens are Indonesians, Burmese, and Bangladeshis, who often come to Malaysia in search of better lives.

Related Topics:
Indonesian - Burmese - Bangladeshi

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Malaysia allows qualified people who are considered expatriates to hold permanent residency (PR) status. However gaining this status is not an easy process and may take years. Only after proving his or her loyalty to Malaysia can a Permanent Resident status be converted to citizenship.

Related Topics:
Expatriates - Permanent residency

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The tight control is a relic from the communist insurgencies in the middle of the 20th century.

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