KOTA KINABALU – The government must look into the issue involving dual citizenship carefully before they consider approving the proposal, said Sabah opposition leader Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.
The Warisan president said there are several serious issues that would arise if the government allows dual citizenship, particularly those involving the sovereignty and security of the nation as those with dual citizenship could put both countries at risk.
“Loyalty is the first issue; dual citizens would not be loyal to any of these two countries. They are free to choose their loyalty between the two countries unless there is a declaration or agreement document that could be brought to the court if they break the regulations set.
“There would also be issues with the rule of law for countries concerned, especially when it comes to election and taxation (in which two countries may have different laws),” he said in a statement today.
He also pointed out that whether one is still bound by the state law in Malaysia would be questionable if this person has two citizenships.
Shafie was commenting on news reports that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government would study the proposal to implement dual citizenship to curb the persistent brain drain problem, despite the government not being in favour of the proposal.
Immigration laws would be another problem, he said, because dual citizens would be exempted from immigration laws of both countries which would encourage large migration into the country, limiting job opportunities for the locals.
“This situation would indirectly cause a brain drain phenomenon in countries concerned as skilled workers born in that country might migrate to other countries with better opportunities,” the Senallang assemblyman said.
Shafie added that visas that are issued by most countries are sufficient to allow people to temporarily reside in certain areas for people to pursue their careers or to start businesses, indicating that there is no need to allow dual citizenship for the time being. – September 29, 2023