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Chapter 1 · Acquisition of Citizenship

Article 17

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(Repealed).

General provisions as to registration

*18.  (1)  No person of or over the age of eighteen years shall be registered as a citizen under this Constitution until he has taken the oath set out in the First Schedule.

(2)

Except with the approval of the Federal Government, no person who has renounced or has been deprived of citizenship under this Constitution or who has renounced or has been deprived of federal citizenship or citizenship of the Federation before

Merdeka Day under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948

shall be registered as a citizen under this Constitution.

(3)

A person registered as a citizen under this Constitution shall be a citizen by registration from the day on which he is so registered.

(4)

(Repealed).

Citizenship by naturalization

**19.  (1)  Subject to Clause (9), the Federal Government may, upon application made by any person of or over the age of twenty-one years who is not a citizen, grant a certificate of naturalization to that person if satisfied—

(a)

that—

(i)

he has resided in the Federation for the required periods and intends, if the certificate is granted, to do so permanently;

(ii)

(Repealed);

(b)

that he is of good character; and

(c)

that he has an adequate knowledge of the Malay language.

*This Article has been amended by section 5 of the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2025

[Act A1752], not yet in force.

**This Article has been amended by section 6 of the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2025

[Act A1752], not yet in force.

Report

Chapter 2

Termination of Citizenship

Chapter 3

Supplemental

Part IV

Chapter 1

The Supreme Head

Chapter 2

The Conference of Rulers

Chapter 3

The Executive

Chapter 4

Federal Legislature

Chapter 5

Legislative procedure

Chapter 6

Capacity as respects property, contracts and suits

Part V

Part VI

Chapter 1

Distribution of legislative powers

Chapter 2

Distribution of executive powers

Chapter 3

Distribution of financial burdens

Chapter 4

Land

Chapter 5

National development

Chapter 6

Federal surveys, advice to States and inspection of State activities

Chapter 7

National Council for Local Government

Chapter 8

Application to States of Sabah and Sarawak

Part VII

Chapter 1

General

Chapter 2

Application to States of Sabah and Sarawak

Part VIII

Part IX

Part X

Part XI

Part II

Part II, and Article 79 shall not apply to any Bill for such a law or any amendment to such a Bill.”.

Part XII

Part XIII

Part XIV

Part XV

Part XV

Part XV, Art. 182 & 183

Part III

Part III: 14-04-1984

Part II

Part II: 16-04-1984