315 Become Brunei Citizens
By Debbie Too

Bandar Seri Begawan - A Total, of 315 people were awarded Brunei citizenship yesterday at a ceremony held at the Multipurpose Hall of the Fire and Rescue Department in Berakas.

The 21st Citizenship Awarding Ceremony was attended by Pg Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Mohammad Pg Hj Abdul Rahrnan, the deputy Minister of Education.

Out of the total number, 198 were awarded the citizenship by registration under the Chapter 5(1) of the Brunei Nationality Act and after passing the Malay written and verbal tests, 104 people were spouses of Brunei nationalities under Chapter 5 (6) and 13 others were those born outside the country, but have been holding a permanent resident identification card for over 20 years and have fulfilled all the required criteria to be eligible for the test, as stipulated under Chapter 8(1) of the Act.

"We are extremely happy to receive our Bruneian citizenships," said one of the participants to The Brunei Times. She received her citizenship with her sister, who used to be a red IC holder.

The requirements to attain Brunei citizenship include passing tests in Malay culture, customs, and language.

Stateless permanent residents of Brunei are given International Certificates of Identity, which allow them to travel overseas.

An amendment to the National Registration and Immigration Act of 2002 allowed female Bruneian citizens for the first time to transfer their nationality to their children.

The Deputy Minister of Education said: `A briefing was held for the new citizens by officials from specific government agencies to clarify the roles and responsibilities as Bruneians under the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang DiPertuan of Brunei Darussalam.

"This briefing provides additional knowledge which Bruneians should understand, remember and hold close to their hearts. The knowledge is all about our country, language and' customs," he added.

Last year, Brunei welcomed more than 290 new citizens.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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