The Star Online reported today that more than half of the 32,900 applications for citizenship have been processed in the past month, and the Home Ministry is confident of meeting its target of completing the task by the end of 2009.

Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam said the department has been conducting about 250 interviews and processing an average of 500 applications daily to clear all applications received between 1997 and 2006.

He said since minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein announced the decision to expedite the processing of citizenship applications, the ministry had hired additional staff to attend to the task, and who currently worked on two shifts from 8am to 8pm daily.

“We are dedicated towards completing all long-pending applications and are confident that starting next year, we should be dealing with only current applications,” he told journalists during a special media visit to the task force’s office here Friday.