KUALA LUMPUR - More than 61,000 Malaysians have given up their citizenship over the past five years, with economic considerations and family-related reasons emerging as the main drivers behind the decision.

National Registration Department (NRD) director-general Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias said a total of 61,116 Malaysians relinquished their citizenship in the five-year period leading up to December 17 last year, averaging about 10,000 cases annually.

Women made up the majority of those who renounced their citizenship, with 35,356 cases recorded during the period.

Singapore was by far the most common destination, accounting for nearly 94 per cent of all applications, followed by Australia at 2.15 per cent and Brunei at 0.97 per cent, while other countries collectively made up just over three per cent.

Badrul said stronger employment prospects and higher income levels abroad were among the key economic motivations, particularly in Singapore, where many Malaysians are already working.

“The decision to relinquish Malaysian citizenship is largely influenced by economic and family factors. In the case of Singapore, employment opportunities and income levels make it easier for Malaysians to qualify for citizenship there,” he said in an interview with Harian Metro.

Family considerations also played a significant role, especially among Malaysians who married foreign nationals and later settled overseas before choosing to adopt their spouse’s nationality, he added.

Apart from voluntary renunciation, Badrul said there were also cases where citizenship was revoked, although the number was relatively small.

Such revocations occur when Malaysians acquire a foreign nationality and exercise rights associated with it, such as voting, as Malaysia does not permit dual citizenship under the Federal Constitution.

“When a Malaysian citizen exercises the rights of another country, for example by voting in its elections, they are deemed to have acquired that country’s citizenship, and their Malaysian citizenship must be revoked,” he said.

In terms of age groups, the largest number of applicants were between 31 and 40 years old, totalling 19,287 people or 31.6 per cent.

This was followed by those aged 21 to 30, with 18,827 applicants (30.8 per cent), individuals aged 41 to 50 with 14,126 cases (23.1 per cent), and those aged above 50, who made up 14.5 per cent or 8,876 applicants.