KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 ― About 500 individuals showed up at the National Registration Department’s (NRD) Putrajaya headquarters today, with many of them applying for citizenship and identification documents such as birth certificates, the department’s director-general confirmed.

Datuk Mohammad Razin Abdullah however clarified that the crowd did not reach 1,000-strong as reported, but confirmed that the Pertubuhan Kebajikan Masyarakat Prihatin 1Malaysia group had arrived today with around 500 individuals at around 11am.

"The NGO notified us that it will be bringing several applicants for registration for personal identification documents, but we did not expect so many.

"We always receive applications from anyone, no problem, because we practice an open policy...we won’t block,” he told Malay Mail when contacted.

Despite the large crowd, Razin confirmed that the situation was "under control” and that there were no disturbances.

When asked if the group had made an appointment with the NRD today, Razin said the group had merely informed it was coming with some applicants and had asked the department to provide cooperation.

Despite the huge number who came today to the NRD headquarters, Razin said the department was treating the applications as usual.

"We receive them as ordinary applications...It is not something extraordinary or a special programme. They come as usual, just that they came in big numbers,” he said.

He noted that not all of the nearly 500 who came today were applicants, with some merely accompanying the applicants as their spouse or relatives, including those who bring along their children whom they  are applying a birth certificate for.

Razin said the NRD had received roughly 185 applications as of 3.45pm from the crowd who came today, adding that the department was still handling the other applications that were coming in.

"We will finish it no matter what time. We will receive all applications that are presented today,” he said, believing that the NRD would be able to complete receiving the applications by today.

"There are those that involved birth certificates, there are those that involved applications for citizenship and identity cards, but most of it involves birth certificates and citizenship applications,” he said.

As of 3.45pm, the NRD has received 92 applications and enquiries regarding citizenships, around 70 applications and enquiries regarding birth certificates and adoption, 23 applications and enquiries regarding identity cards from the crowd.

A news report by portal Free Malaysia Today had earlier today reported that close to 1,000 people had shown up at the NRD office to demand for birth certificates and identity cards, with one of its headlines indicating that they were of Indian ethnicity.

Razin confirmed that most of the crowd who came to make their applications today were of Indian ethnicity, but said there were those of other ethnicities as well.

Razin said the roughly 500-strong crowd today came from throughout the country, with most of them from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

"My advice is that they don’t have to come to the headquarters in Putrajaya, so if they want to submit any applications, they can go to any nearest NRD branch. No need to come from afar to submit applications.

"We will give equal treatment whether the applications are submitted at the state NRD office or at the NRD branches,” he said.

"The important thing is that they fulfill all the conditions and all the rules...We will consider the applications based on the conditions that we have fixed. We will consider all those that are qualified,” he said.

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