Jakarta, Feb. 26 -- Indonesia's Law Ministry has reaffirmed that obtaining citizenship is a strict and selective process amid public debate over the nationality status of a scholarship alumna's child.

Director General of General Legal Administration (AHU) Widodo made the statement during a press conference on Thursday in response to viral discussions surrounding the child of LPDP (Endowment Fund for Education) scholarship alumna Dwi Sasetyaningtyas.

Widodo stressed that although interest in Indonesian citizenship remains relatively high, the process of acquiring - or relinquishing - citizenship is neither automatic nor simple.

"The government is highly selective and strict in granting citizenship status," he said.

To qualify, applican...