[Tips] Renunciation of Malaysian Citizenship in Singapore

Finally the time is here.

After staying in this country for the most part of my young adulthood to adulthood, and contemplating if I will ever return to Malaysia in the future, having left the country when I was pretty young, I can’t imagine living in Malaysia again. After tossing and turning, mulling over it and losing many sleepless nights thinking about this, I have decided last year, that I will apply for the Singapore citizenship. A place that I have very much call home.

Although I have heard that it is relatively easy to obtain the citizenship in this country, I have also heard stories of people whom applied many times and their applications were rejected. And, I know how sticky Singapore ICA is and process had seem daunting to me at that point in time. Without much thought, I had psyched myself to apply for it. If I failed, at least I tried, that’s the mantra I told myself.

So my application process started in Mar 2016. I was called up for an interview in Jul 2016. After that, I didn’t hear much about it. Although I was told that my application will take about 12 months from beginning till the end, I was hopeful albeit a small one. As the months drawing to a close, I started to get agitated and anxious. Will I be like the rest of the hopefuls. Will I ever see the new red passport pretty much sought after the world over?

I started to doubt myself and wondered if I had done the right thing. Just as I almost gave up and started to accept that the application had gone down the drain like the rest of the hopeful applicants, I received a letter, not a rejection letter. But, a letter that begins with a congratulatory note. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes.

Anyhow, getting the letter is one part. The next part is as complicated.

I had to go to the Malaysia High Commissioner in Jervois Road. I have been here a long time, but I never used any consular services before. And, to know that the very first time I am using any of the services, would also be the last time I am using it feels rather funny to me. Who would have thought this is how we are going to part ways. What a goodbye.

Renunciation process is rather straightforward. It is no rocket science. But……having said that, no one’s going to tell you what to bring, when to go and what forms to fill in. We need to thank the predecessors before us that had walked the path and the wisdoms that were passed down definitely helps the light the way.

One of the predecessors was Kevin. His blog helped me navigate the complexities of the process. I screengrabbed the excerpt from his blog.

The blog that he referred to was rather outdated. Some of the procedures may have changed. To play safe, the current steps in Kevin’s blog are still relevant. I had followed the steps to a T when I did my renunciation process a week ago.

Thank you Kevin for the blog!