Citizenship law: Syed Saddiq backs call for 'decoupling' approach

 

Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has expressed his support for calls to “decouple” the highly criticised constitutional amendments that will affect citizenship.

This comes after several MPs suggested that amendments be split or decoupled into separate bills for Parliament to ensure the passage of some of the proposed amendments.

The Muar MP pointed out that this was in line with the demands of rights groups towards the proposed amendments - which include a “sensitive” proposal over granting citizenship to stateless children and foundlings who are abandoned infants.

“In line with demands from the NGOs, yes,” he told Malaysiakini when asked if he supported calls for decoupling the bill.

Syed Saddiq (above) urged the Home Ministry to heed the call from civil societies.

“Listen to the voices of the NGOs and mothers who had their basic rights stripped away from them which hurt their children and the family overall.

“I will have to stick to my promise to the mothers I personally met.

“Also to the NGOs who know that adding more barriers means hurting those who are already voiceless,” he said.

Eight proposed amendments

Last week, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that his ministry is expected to retain and table all eight of its amendment proposals related to the granting of citizenships under the Federal Constitution.

This included “most sensitive” amendments which were to amend the Second Schedule, Part II Section 1(e) that grants every stateless person born in Malaysia citizenship by operation of law as well as Second Schedule, Part III, Section 19(b) which grants abandoned children citizenship by operation of law.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail

Critics believe it could render more people stateless or place stateless individuals in precarious positions.

The other amendments include giving Malaysian mothers the equal right to confer automatic citizenship on children born overseas.

These amendments are to Article 14(1)(b), Sections 1(b) and 1(c) of Part II of the Second Schedule.

At present, those sections only allow automatic citizenship to those born overseas to a Malaysian father after Sept 16, 1963 (Malaysia Day), and not if only the mother is Malaysian.

Discontentment

Saifuddin’s response raised discontentment among some government backbenchers, with Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee warning that several of them may go against their party’s whip if the Home Ministry does not adopt a decoupled approach.

The bill has not been tabled but interest groups who attended government engagement sessions on it have been lobbying MPs to address weaknesses in the bill.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also reminded that lawmakers would have to honour the Conference of Rulers’ views on such amendments.

To pass the amendments, Anwar will need at least 148 MPs to vote in favour because constitutional amendment bills must be passed by at least two-thirds of the Dewan Rakyat.

Failing to pass the bill will be a setback to the Anwar administration as both Pakatan Harapan and BN had promised in the 2022 election pledges to amend laws to allow Malaysian mothers who give birth abroad a pathway to seek citizenship for their children, in parity with fathers right to do so. - Mkini