Why isn’t Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun coming to the defence of a group of women who are challenging discriminatory policies against them in relation to the granting of citizenship after the government described their efforts as “troublesome and frivolous”?
This was the question posed by ex-deputy women, family and community development minister Hannah Yeoh and ex-deputy home minister Mohd Azis Jamman. They are also the Segambut and Sepanggar MPs respectively.
Under Malaysian law, Malaysian men with foreign spouses can automatically pass on their citizenship to their children but the same does not apply to Malaysian women with foreign spouses.
A group of six mothers are challenging this provision and want equal treatment.
“We expect that as a caring government, the minister will defend the mother’s demands in line with the objective of her ministry.
“However, we are still wondering where is her (Rina) voice when the issue of unequal citizenship treatment was raised?” Yeoh and Azis said in a joint statement.
Yeoh said Rina’s predecessor Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was often proactive and would often write to the Home Ministry when such issues arise. Issues of citizenship fall under the Home Ministry.
They said the Perikatan Nasional-led government should live up to their claim of being a caring government by supporting the mothers’ efforts.
“The struggle to provide citizenship for children is important and the duty of a caring government. It is far from trouble or frivolous.
“Calling oneself a caring government is insufficient if it is not followed up with actions and policies that reflect the name," they said.
The government, which is trying to strike out the mother’s constitutional challenge, gave the reasons that it was “troublesome and frivolous”. - Mkini
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