PETALING JAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail clarified that all details were carefully checked before assigning citizenship to the newest group of Harimau Malaya players with mixed heritage.

He addressed the citizenship issue following FIFA’s decision regarding the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), stating that all approvals were made in accordance with the Federal Constitution and were not influenced by external factors.

"I want to emphasise that every decision on the granting of citizenship is made based on the legal provisions under Article 19(1) of the Federal Constitution," he said.

"The naturalisation process is very thorough and multi-layered - complete documents are reviewed, interviews are conducted, biometrics are taken, and comprehensive verification is carried out.

"The main condition is that the applicant must be residing in Malaysia, not merely applying from abroad.

"All decisions are made in an orderly manner and in accordance with legal procedures."

Saifuddin Nasution emphasised that the Home Ministry is responsible for ensuring that all citizenship matters are conducted legally, transparently and in accordance with the Constitution.