MALAYSIA: The causeway exodus isn’t slowing down. In fact, it’s accelerating — and not just in weekend grocery runs, hawker food indulgence or petrol pit stops.
According to the New Straits Times (NST), over 6,000 Malaysians have already packed up their bags and given up their blue passports in the first six months of this year, swapping them for Singapore’s red one counterpart.
Citing Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s written reply in Parliament, the NST reported that “6,060 people had done so as of June 30.” All have relinquished their Malaysian citizenship to take up Singapore citizenship instead.
If that’s a hefty number, it’s indeed a lot, but it could also be just a warm-up taste of what could be a record-setting year to come. In 2024, a record-shattering 16,930 Malaysians officially switched allegiances to the Little Red Dot, blowing past the 11,500 figure in 2023.
The figures show a migration trend that’s anything but steady. The NST noted that 2022 saw 5,623 citizenship surrenders — slightly fewer than 7,956 in 2021 — before numbers skyrocketed during the post-pandemic period. The pre-COVID-19 peak came in 2019 with 13,362 cases, before tumbling to 5,591 in 2020 during the border-closure years.
Saifuddin’s written parliamentary reply, quoted by the NST, also took a walk down the historical and statistical memory lane: “Earlier years saw 7,394 cases in 2015, 8,654 in 2016, 7,583 in 2017, and 7,665 in 2018.”
The parliamentary question responded to by Saifuddin was posed by Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN–Kota Baru), who asked for a breakdown of Malaysians applying for Singapore citizenship from 2015 to 2025, essentially mapping a decade-long migration trend.
Why the shift to the Little Red Dot?
While the statistics speak for themselves, they also spark the same perennial debate: Why are so many Malaysians giving up their citizenship for Singapore?
The statistics leave plenty of room for speculation. Singapore’s strong currency (S$1 = RM3.50), higher salaries, and perceived career stability create an irresistible magnetic pull. In addition, the Little Red Dot’s passport, among the world’s most powerful, also adds to the pull’s influence.
For some, it’s also about education opportunities, or securing a better future for their children or families. For others, it’s a calculated career move, even if it means a bittersweet goodbye, a farewell to their home soil.
If the first half of 2025 is any indication, Malaysia could be on track to break last year’s record. The only question is whether it’s cause for concern as an economic red flag, a reflection of global mobility, or something to celebrate, or just another chapter in the Malaysia–Singapore migration history — that’s a debate likely to continue well beyond the causeway.
