Cabinet to mull constitutional change on citizenship through mothers

 

A group of young Malaysian mothers and representatives of Family Frontiers outside the national registration department in June last year.

PETALING JAYA: A Cabinet memo proposing an amendment to the Federal Constitution to allow mothers to pass on their citizenship to their overseas-born children will be submitted soon, says law minister Azalina Othman Said.

The Pengerang MP said the Cabinet memo would be put forth by her and home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

As it stands, children born overseas to Malaysian women are not entitled to automatic citizenship as the Federal Constitution only provides for citizenship through fathers.

“God-willing, Saifuddin and I will put forth the memo to amend the relevant schedule in the constitution related to citizenship,” Azalina tweeted.

Last August, an appellate court ruled that children born overseas to Malaysian women were not entitled to automatic citizenship as the Federal Constitution only provided for citizenship through fathers.

Last year, the Court of Appeal overturned a landmark High Court ruling in 2021 that the word “father” in a constitutional provision could be construed to mean “mothers” or “parents”, thereby allowing citizenship by operation of law to their children born abroad. - FMT