How does the NRD determine citizenship status with inconsistent testimonies?

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The NRD has not publicly outlined how it resolves inconsistent witness testimonies when deciding citizenship status
In Balamah’s case, the National Registration Department (NRD) recorded her citizenship status as “not determined yet” because witness testimonies conflicted on her birthplace and the number of siblings. The available court and reporting details do not specify the NRD’s internal process or the criteria it uses to weigh different testimonies when such inconsistencies arise.
NRD recorded “not determined yet” due to conflicting witness accounts
The NRD’s record for Balamah remained undetermined after inconsistencies were found in witness testimonies about two points: her birthplace and how many siblings she had. This meant her citizenship status was not finalised in the NRD’s official records, even though other evidence later became part of the broader court narrative.
The fact pattern includes pre-Merdeka births and later NRD registration
Balamah’s children and relatives included births recorded as pre-Merdeka, and siblings born before Merdeka had been registered as Malaysians. Velmurugan and his mother did not have birth certificates for a period because their births were only registered with the NRD in 2011 and 2019, which framed the citizenship dispute around documentation gaps and record timing.
DNA evidence supported family relationships even while NRD status stayed unresolved
While the NRD had Balamah’s citizenship status as not determined, a DNA test was reported to have verified that Balamah was the biological sister of her Malaysian sibling, and that Velmurugan was the biological child of Balamah. The presence of DNA verification in the case narrative did not change the NRD’s earlier “not determined” recording described for her citizenship status.
The reporting does not describe NRD’s decision methodology for conflicting testimonies
The information available states that the NRD’s undetermined status resulted from inconsistencies among witness testimonies, but it does not explain what the NRD does next to resolve conflicts, such as which testimony is given priority or whether additional documents are required. As a result, the specific NRD methodology for handling inconsistent testimony in citizenship determination remains unelaborated in the provided details.

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How does the NRD determine citizenship status with inconsistent testimonies?

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