Minister of Home Affairs, YB Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Adanan, said in the application for re-entry permit, re-entry visa and citizenship, there are immigration and national registration laws that need to be abided by, for instance on charges for re-entry permit and re-entry visa.
He was responding to YB Pehin Kapitan Lela Diraja Dato Paduka Goh King Chin's queries at the Legislative Council meeting.
The minister said the ministry will look into any differences in charges for stateless PRs and PRs who have foreign citizenship.
The minister said that Permanent Residents could apply for citizenship as long as they fulfill the requirements.
The minister added in 2009, there were 210 PRs who became citizens which included both applicants born in Brunei and overseas.
Exemption was also given to illiterate and aged residents in the Malay language assessment. A total of 117 were given such exemption and granted citizenship. From 1962 to 2009, 7,505 Permanent Residents had passed the oral and written tests to obtain their citizenship.
Earlier, YB Pehin Kapitan Lela Diraja Dato Paduka Goh King Chin raised the issue of re-entry visa and re-entry permit charges for Permanent Residents.
He said in Brunei, there are two types of Permanent Residents: locally-born PRs and foreigners who hold PR status with a foreign passport.
He asked why locally-born PRs have to pay $50 annually for a re-entry permit and $10 annually for a re-entry visa but foreign PRs pay a lower fee annually for a re-entry visa.
He also asked why locally-born PRs have an endorsement in the Certificate of Identity as stated in their travel document.
YB Pehin Kapitan Lela Diraja Dato Paduka Goh King Chin said the laws governing this rule are outdated and need to be revised.
He urged the authorities to improve the image of the local-born PRs and re-phrase the 'Certificate of Identity Brunei Darussalam' as 'Certificate of Identity Brunei Darussalam Protected Person' which would upgrade the status of local-born PRs.
He also highlighted the "loss" of locally-born PRs to other countries who have given them citizenship. Many doctors, pilots and professionals who are local PRs have left the country as they are unable to obtain citizenship in Brunei.
Meanwhile, YB Dato Paduka Hj Idris asked about the upgrading works at Labu checkpoint in Temburong.
The Minister of Home Affairs said it was initially built as a temporary checkpoint. "But we will review its upgrading works."
On the Puni-Ujong Jalan checkpoint in Temburong as raised by YB Dato Paduka Hj Puasa, the minister said a contractor, Ocean Quarry and Construction, has been selected and will finish the work in 18 months, which is in July 2011.
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