KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun has rejected a private member’s bill filed by Nurul Izzah Anwar (PH-Permatang Pauh) for a constitutional amendment to grant overseas-born children citizenship through their Malaysian mothers.
In a letter to Nurul Izzah last Friday sighted by FMT, Azhar noted that her proposal to amend Section (1)(b) and (1)(c) under Part II of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution touches on Part III of the Federal Constitution.
He said that as per Article 159 (5) of the Federal Constitution, any amendments to provisions under Part III cannot be approved without the permission of the Conference of Rulers.
“In my view, any schedule that is part of (another schedule) should be read with the related law,” he said.
“The bill is not in accordance with Standing Order 49(1) as it does not meet the requirements of a federal law.
“Because of that, I reject the application to bring this private member’s bill to the (Dewan Rakyat) meeting.”
Azhar suggested that Nurul Izzah discuss the matter with the relevant minister to allow the bill to be tabled.
The bill sought to amend Part II of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution to insert the words “or mother” after the word “father” in Clauses (1)(b) and (1)(c).
The clauses state that every person born outside the federation on or after Malaysia Day, whose father is at the time of the birth a Malaysian citizen, will be considered a Malaysian citizen by operation of the law.
The proposed amendment seeks to extend this to include mothers.
Several other MPs have also submitted private member’s bills on the matter. They include Azalina Othman Said (Pengerang), Hannah Yeoh (Segambut), Fahmi Fadzil (Lembah Pantai), Fuziah Salleh (Kuantan) and Alice Lau (Lanang). - FMT
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