In Malaysia, fake news of Chinese nationals getting citizenship stokes racial tensions
- Claims that mainland Chinese are being granted Malaysian identification cards have been circulating online media for the past month
- The National Registration Department has lodged a police report against several social media users for such accusations
Fake news that mainland Chinese were being granted Malaysian identification cards has been circulating on social media for the past month, the latest in a series of attempts to stoke racial tensions at a time when the relations between ethnic Chinese Malaysians and indigenous Malays “are at their lowest ebb”, according to an expert.
“The information spread through social media is false, and the report is to enable the police to conduct a thorough investigation,” NRD director general Ruslin Jusoh told reporters at a press conference to announce the police report.
He dismissed claims that the NRD discriminates by granting Malaysian citizenship to certain foreign nationals.
“This is not true and for the record, we do not choose applicants based on their ancestry or nationality in granting them Malaysian citizenship,” Ruslin said.