‘We tabled citizenship bill to give Malaysian mothers equal rights’

 

INTERVIEW | While acknowledging brickbats surrounding the proposed citizenship law amendments, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh was adamant that the part of it which gives equal rights to Malaysian mothers regarding overseas-born children was a positive move.

“Nothing can change the fact that it was the coalition government that tabled the bill in the Parliament to give Malaysian mothers the equal opportunity and right to confer citizenship on their overseas-born children.

“We managed to table the bill. So, for that, I’m very pleased that there was political will to bring it (to the Parliament),” she told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview at her ministry last Thursday.

On her early days as a full-fledged minister, Yeoh recalled how all five women ministers, including herself, insisted they wanted to ensure that Malaysian mothers, who are married to foreign spouses, could pass their citizenship to their children born overseas.

The other four women ministers are Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said; Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek; Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri, and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

“When we (the female ministers) got together in the beginning, that was the first thing we said we wanted to do.

“So, we told the prime minister (Anwar Ibrahim) that that has to be our number one reform to level the playing field for the ladies. We are thankful that the home minister (Saifuddin Nasution Ismail) and prime minister agreed that has to be our first reform.

“And we have seen that process and, with that, came other amendments that were proposed, which has seen fierce debates and criticisms,” she said.

On March 27, Putrajaya deferred the debate session for the citizenship amendment bill to the next parliamentary session after the Dewan Rakyat session ran out of time.

Saifuddin had wanted the citizenship amendments to be debated and voted on in that Parliament session. However, he only managed to do the second reading of the bill before the Dewan Rakyat session was adjourned.

While Putrajaya agreed to drop a controversial constitutional amendment, which would deny automatic citizenship to foundlings, critics and activists claim the remaining amendments are still problematic.

There was also uncertainty about whether the government could secure the two-thirds majority needed to pass the constitutional amendments, as there was discontent among backbenchers over regressive elements in the bill.

They include how children born overseas to Malaysian mothers before the amendment would be excluded from automatic citizenship as the bill is not retrospective.

The debate on the bill is now expected to take place when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes in June.

Heritage players for Malaysia

In a related development, Yeoh compared the struggles of Malaysian mothers seeking citizenship for their overseas-born children to that of heritage players on the national football team.

Heritage players refer to those born overseas but with family ties to Malaysian citizens.

“Heritage players means they have one parent, who is Malaysian... Some of them, their mothers gave birth to them overseas.

“This is the same struggle we are fighting for and I feel that it is good to have ‘heritage’ players. Stuart Wilkin is a heritage player.

“We want to be able to speak to children (born to Malaysian mothers or fathers) who are now overseas and say hey, Malaysia is also your home. You have a place here,” she added, drawing a distinction between heritage players and naturalised players with no original links to the country.

This, the minister added, was the essence of the legal reform that the government is trying to bring.

“We see this manifesting in our football team.”

In September 2022, the DAP parliamentarian sarcastically questioned whether stateless children would have to be professional footballers to obtain Malaysian citizenship.

At that time, British-born footballer Lee Tuck, who was Sri Pahang’s midfielder, became a naturalised Malaysian citizen. Tuck joined other naturalised players Mohamadou Sumareh, Liridon Krasniqi, and Guilherme de Paula.

‘Statelessness is very cruel’

Meanwhile, speaking as the Segambut MP, Yeoh asserted that statelessness is an issue the government must tackle before it’s too late.

“We cannot put it on hold for far too long because it will come back and bite our country in so many forms.

“Statelessness is very cruel and it’s not the fault of the child. If you don’t want to give them the right to vote, you must at least ensure that people have the right to healthcare, education - just to live life, get married, and raise a family,” she said.

She then reminded all quarters to discuss this pressing matter through peaceful engagements.

“They (engagement sessions) cannot be emotional because the moment you are emotional about this, the engagement will break down.

“And when you’re no longer talking, then you will be suspicious of each other. You cannot tackle citizenship that way,” Yeoh stressed. - Mkini