PENGERANG MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has renewed calls for the Government to ensure equal rights of citizenship for parents.
This is following news that the Government has decided to continue its appeal against a court ruling that children born overseas to Malaysian women married to foreigners are entitled to automatic Malaysian citizenship.
“I don’t understand why the Government is appealing the ruling when even Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar himself had agreed [that all children born to Malaysian parents abroad must be accorded the right to citizenship in this country],” said a perplexed Azalina in Dewan Rakyat on Sept 29.
“If we want to be fair, we should be fair to all, and if the mothers don’t get the right to pass down citizenship, then the fathers should not get it as well.
“I don’t understand [why the Government is appealing the ruling]. It is as though Malaysian women are inferior to Malaysian men,” said the former de facto law and parliamentary affairs minister.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin had previously mentioned that the Government was appealing the court’s decision as there was a different court ruling on a previous case that sided with the Government.
He said an appeal was necessary to avoid contempt of court, while “upholding” the Federal Constitution.
According to Hamzah, the Government is exploring the possibility of amending the constitution, which would require assent from the Conference of Rulers. – Sept 29, 2021
