AG to brief rulers on overseas-born children case next week

 

PARLIAMENT | The cabinet has agreed for Attorney-General Idrus Harun to brief the Conference of Rulers regarding a legal dispute concerning the citizenship of children born overseas to Malaysian women.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (GPS - Santubong) said the matter was decided during a cabinet meeting on Sept 24.

“The pre-council meeting and the Conference of Rulers meeting have been scheduled for Nov 23 and 24, 2021,” he (above) told the Dewan Rakyat today during the winding-up speech for Budget 2022 in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to questions by Ramkarpal Singh (Harapan - Bukit Gelugor) regarding an ongoing court case brought by a group of Malaysian mothers against the government, and a proposed constitutional amendment to clarify the law.

Wan Junaidi noted that in order for the proposed amendment to become law, it would need the consent of the Conference of Rulers as well as at least two-thirds of votes in Parliament. Consent of the governors of Sabah and Sarawak might be needed as well.

When pressed by Ramkarpal and Azalina Othman Said (BN - Pengerang) on the urgency of the matter, Wan Junaidi promised to find time to table the proposed amendment in Parliament next year.

However, he pointed out there is already a slew of other constitutional amendments in the pipeline, including the reforms pledged under the memorandum of understanding signed between the government and Harapan in September.

“From now until July 2022, there is a series of constitutional amendments to be implemented by the government. Firstly, the laws mentioned in the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA) such as the anti-party hopping law and the law to limit the prime minister’s term of office. That was in our CSA.

“I want to implement or at least table it before or during the July session. As such, God willing, critical matters such as this relating to citizenship will be taken into account, and I’m confident MPs in this chamber will support the amendment because it is of public interest to the people of this country,” he said.

The lawsuit was brought by a group of six Malaysian mothers with foreign spouses who want their foreign-born children to be automatically conferred Malaysian citizenship.

Malaysian citizenship was passed down to foreign-born children only through Malaysian fathers, but the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled on Sept 9 that foreign-born children of either a Malaysian father or mothers should be automatically conferred Malaysian citizenship.

The government has appealed against the decision, but its application to put the court ruling on hold pending the appeal has been rejected earlier today. - Mkini