Indian OCI registration available for 6th gen of descendants in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur: Even though the much-awaited Malaysia visit of PM Narendra Modi did not take place, an announcement by Indian High Commissioner B N Reddy Wednesday came as a pleasant surprise for 2.4 million Malaysian Indians.

The registration of Indian-origin Malaysians as Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) is now extended up to the sixth generation of descendants of people of Indian origin. Since the past few years, Malaysia has witnessed an upsurge in requests for OCI card registration.This follows a series of meetings and discussions between the two countries and external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Malaysian foreign minister Mohamad Hasan on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit, held in Kuala Lumpur. The process around documentation for establishing Indian roots is being eased, and the details are being worked out, sources in the know told TOI.

In a statement, the High Commission said the “procedures being adopted to establish Indian Origin have been further revised for Malaysian applicants".One of the significant revisions could be India agreeing to a Malaysian record and/or a govt document as a legal basis for OCI registration. Another review under consideration is to automatically allow OCI to be issued to PIOs whose parents or grandparents have obtained the OCI.

Ravendiran Arjunan, secretary general, Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) said, “People of Indian origin in Malaysia have been struggling to get the OCI as many official records affirming their Indian ancestry have been destroyed or lost during the colonial era and the world wars. This initiative by India has come as a huge bonus for the Indian community and we sincerely appreciate it.”In other initiatives taken to cement ties with Malaysia, Govt of India has announced an increase of RM 3 million (Ringgit Malaysia) in the Indian Scholarship and Trust Fund (ISTF). This fund provides annual one-time support to students from the weaker strata of Indiancommunity in Malaysia.