7 May 2016: Sarawak polls: Taib’s wife casts her vote
Article 19(3) of the Malaysian Constitution states that one of the criteria for naturalising as a Malaysian national is to have been resident in Malaysia for 10 out of 12 of the immediate preceding years.
29 April 2009: Sarawak CM's wife dies
30 May 2010: Taib: I am too old to get new wife
One of the criteria for naturalising as a Malaysian national is to have been resident in Malaysia for 10 out of 12 of the immediate preceding years. To be considered "resident" in Malaysia, one needs to be a Malaysian Permanent Resident. This is to say, the time on a tourist visa, "social visit pass", work permit, etc, doesn't count.
So how does one get to be a Malaysian Permanent Resident? As as per the Immigration Act and Regulations 1959/63, amongst other things, to have been in Malaysia for at least 5 years on a valid visa.
So to recap:
- 5 years in Malaysia on a valid visa
- After that, in Malaysia for 10 our of 12 years as a Malaysian Permanent Resident
2016 - 12 - 5 = 1999
15 January 2011: Ragad celebrates her 29th birthday. That suggests that her date of birth is 15 January 1982.
That means in 1999 she would have been 17 years of age.
Section 19 of the Immigration Act requires the applicant to be over the age of 21 to get Malaysian Permanent Residency.
Even in the best of circumstances, it would have taken Ragad 17 years to be a Malaysian citizen. Yet at the age of 34, she was already one, and was eligible to vote.
Did she she vote in the 13th General Election in May 2013 or in the 10th Sarawak State Elections in April 2011, since The Star and the NST describes her as a "second time voter"?
Am I the only one to notice this discrepancy?
