S’wak lowers citizenship age to 18, fast-tracks cases involving children of non-citizen mothers

Fatimah speaking to reporters at Baitul Makmur II in Petra Jaya, Kuching, on Jan 19, 2026. Photo credit: TVS

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Jan 20: Sarawak has adopted the national definition of adulthood, lowering the eligibility age for citizenship applications from 21 to 18 under Article 15(A), while also expediting the processing of complex cases.

According to a TVS news report, Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the changes apply mainly to children of non-citizen mothers and cases involving unregistered adoptions.

“The surge in citizenship applications in Sarawak is largely driven not by age, but by complex cases involving so-called ‘illegitimate’ children born to non-citizen mothers, as well as adoptions carried out without proper legal registration.

“A significant portion of these cases involves children born outside legally registered marriages or without proper documentation. We have identified common cases originating from countries such as the Philippines, China, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.

“Hence, those who registered their marriages overseas are advised to ensure that the marriages are properly registered in Malaysia upon their return,” she said at a press conference at Baitulmakmur II in Petra Jaya here yesterday (Jan 19).

She added that unregistered adoptions often create documentation gaps, making citizenship claims more difficult to process.

To address the issue, Fatimah said a special committee, the Sarawak Special Committee on Citizenship Status (JKKSK), has been established to fast-track complicated citizenship applications.

“The special committee will process these cases much faster than before,” she said. — DayakDaily