Historic changes to citizenship law to grant automatic Malaysian citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian mothers is only possible under the Madani Government.
I was overjoyed in reading about the Madani Government’s commitment to amend the Federal Constitution to guarantee the right of a Malaysian mother to automatically pass her citizenship to her children born overseas, just like how a Malaysian father can.
Lawmakers of yonder years have been raising this as an issue in Parliament. Countless memorandums have been handed to the Government by Malaysian mothers who had suffered in silence for years. They have made numerous visits, all in vain, to the National Registration Department, the courts, and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Only now can I, in all alacrity, say aloud that it is this Madani Government which will finally put an end to their prolonged misery.
The move by the Minister of Home Affairs Saifuddin Nasution has been greeted with cheers within the walls of the Dewan Rakyat and also outside, by the mothers, campaigners, advocates including the United Nations representatives and not to forget our esteemed member of the Negeri Sembilan royalty Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin Tuanku Muhriz who has been an ardent ally and partner in the campaign to redress this ignominious legal anomaly.
However, in the joy comes something disconcerting, for along with the amendment to remove Section 1(e) of Part II in the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution, there seems to be other amendments proposed that will indefinitely harm the prospect of foundlings and babies found in Malaysia as well as adoptive children of Malaysian parents who will not be given automatic Malaysian citizenship via the courts nor the Welfare Department or JKM. (Effectively ousting the jurisdiction of the Courts).
Whilst we are on the path for progressive amendments and reforms of the law, considering that Malaysia is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child since 1995 and also being a member of the UN Human Rights Council, blazing through to table the other unsavoury amendments in the same sitting is being disingenous and insensitive.
While the amendments to grant automatic citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian mothers must proceed without any delay, the Government must put a halt to all other amendments pertaining to citizenship of children born here on Malaysian soil and to continue to engage with stakeholders including seeking the views of the Special Parliamentary Committees.
Malaysia must be seen as a nation that is progressive on child and citizenship rights.
I applaud the Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution, who will make history by tabling the amendments to the Federal Constitution, to put an end to the gross injustices suffered by the mothers and their families
Teresa Kok
MP for Seputeh