More than 57,000 Malaysians gave up citizenship for Singapore over last 5 years

Over 57,000 Malaysians renounced their citizenship and moved to Singapore within a five-year period up to Dec 17 last year, Harian Metro reported on Wednesday (Jan 7).

Speaking with the Malaysian publication, Malaysia's National Registration Department director-general Badrul Hisham Alias said that a total of 61,116 Malaysians relinquished their citizenship within the time frame, with 93.78 per cent of them (around 57,315) heading for Singapore, 2.15 per cent to Australia and 0.97 per cent to Brunei.

He added that women were the majority of those relinquishing their citizenships — totalling 35,356 — while an average of 10,000 Malaysians give up their citizenship each year.

"The decision to relinquish Malaysian citizenship is largely driven by economic and family factors," he explained in an interview with Harian Metro.

"In the case of Singapore, many Malaysians are employed there, and employment prospects and income levels make it easier for them to obtain citizenship."

Most Malaysians who marry foreign spouses and migrate overseas cite family reasons for changing their nationality, Badrul explained.

Among the 61,116 who relinquished their citizenship, a majority of individuals are aged between 31 and 40 (19,287 or 31.16 per cent), followed by those aged 21 to 30 (18,827 or 30.8 per cent), those aged 41 to 50 (14,126 or 23.1 per cent) and those aged above 50 (8,876 or 14.5 per cent).

The Star had also reported in August last year that over 97,000 Malaysians relinquished their citizenship within a 10-year period between 2015 and June 2025. 

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khooyihang@asiaone.com