Citizenship and Citizenship Surveys

Twelve years of happiness were shattered by a single phone call. A Chinese couple, having finally succeeded in having a child, saw their lives turned upside down on the very day they applied for the child’s identity card. The backstory: Approaching the age of 40 and desperate for a child, the couple—introduced by a friend—adopted the infant of an unmarried Malaysian woman. Seeking convenience, they falsely registered the baby as their own biological child and lived peacefully for twelve years. The deception unraveled during the application for the MyKad (national ID card); a counter official noticed a discrepancy between the child’s appearance and the details on the “parents'” birth certificate, leading to the case being referred to the BSK (the National Registration Department’s investigation unit).

Raising a child for 20 years, only to hear ‘He’s not your kid’: From bringing the baby home at one month, feeding him, changing diapers, teaching him to use chopsticks during New Year, and raising him for nearly 20 years, why did the court still refuse to recognize this parent-child bond in the PEN vs. KAL case? How did the High Court use two main reasons to declare a loving foster relationship as ‘legally unadoptable’?

Mr. and Mrs. Peng adopted an abandoned baby in 2001 and, for convenience, directly registered themselves as the ‘biological parents.’ Twelve years later, when the child applied for a MyKad, the truth came out, and they had to go through the official adoption process to make it right. Legal clash: The High Court once ruled in favor of the parents, so why did the Court of Appeal overturn the original verdict and rule against them? The Constitution only recognizes bloodlines: Why can’t a legal adoption order restore the child’s citizenship?

A perfect 9-year family fell apart because of a piece of paper: Foster parents brought their niece, born in China, to Penang and raised her for 9 years. The welfare department’s report had zero flaws, so why did the local court still reject the adoption application? The legal trap: Section 25A of the 1952 Adoption Act requires ‘replacing’ the birth certificate, but the child was born in China — the procedure doesn’t work, does that mean the adoption is doomed?

Mr. H (currently around 25 years old) Born at Ipoh General Hospital in 2001, he has a Malaysian father and a Thai mother. His parents never registered their marriage; his mother left home when he was 14 months old and has not been heard from since. Throughout his childhood, he received vaccinations, attended school, obtained a Malaysian international passport at just over a year old, and even used that passport to travel to Sarawak.

Abandoned at a bus station in Pahang in 1997 (at approximately one year of age), the individual was subsequently legally adopted and raised by a local couple.The Court of Appeal recently dismissed her application to obtain Malaysian citizenship by operation of law.

Applying for an IC (MyKad) at age 12 triggered an investigation into questioned records, instantly destroying 12 years of assumed local identity. In 2001, a family took in a foreign woman’s newborn and registered false details on the birth certificate through a third party—setting up a major legal disaster.

In November 1996, the adoptive parents heard from an acquaintance at a night market in Johor that a newborn baby girl had been abandoned. They then paid RM500 at a house in Segamat to take the child, and in December of the same year, they lied to the GEMAS police station, claiming they were the baby’s biological parents, and obtained the first citizenship birth certificate. What happened next: In 2018, 22-year-old Ms. E went to renew her ID card, but her Malaysian card was withheld, her birth certificate was canceled, and her status became ‘undetermined’ (Belum Ditentukan), leaving her stateless. Verdict: In June 2026, the appeals court ruled against Ms. E, meaning she would not automatically gain Malaysian citizenship.

Malaysia’s 12-Year “Citizen” Illusion: How hiding the truth on the birth certificate at birth can plant a 12-year identity risk for a child? Sudden Turn: At 12, when going to UTC to get a MyKad, JPN officers got suspicious because of his looks and skin color and launched an investigation. Legal Shock: The adoptive father was fined, and the child’s status was changed to “non-citizen” — three shifts from the fake birth certificate to the adoption birth certificate.

Route 1: Application Through JPN Counter (Conventional Route)

Where to Apply

State JPN Headquarters, or the JPN Headquarters in Putrajaya.

Processing Time

Once submitted, applicants have no control over the process. At present, the average waiting period is approximately 2 to 3 years.

If the Application Is Rejected

If the application is rejected, there is generally no separate appeal channel. The applicant will need to prepare the necessary documents and submit a fresh application.