Malaysia to correct gender bias with citizenship amendment promising equal rights for foreign-born children
- The amendment will allow foreign-born children to Malaysian mothers and their non-Malaysian spouse to automatically get citizenship, ending years of struggle for many
- PM Anwar Ibrahim says the matter is ‘done’ as the cabinet has approved for the amendment to be tabled to parliament next week
Under the current law which goes back to 1963, only Malaysian men who marry non-citizens and have a child abroad can pass their citizenship to their children, while children born to Malaysian mothers under the same arrangement are deprived of the same right.
The prime minister, who was in Berlin on an official visit, said the constitutional provision was wrong, and the cabinet had approved to table the amendment to parliament next week, saying the matter was “done”.
“The issue now is ‘parent’ in the present constitution, for decades, has meant father,” Anwar said. “We realise it is not right. Parent means father and mother.”
The amendment will affect Article 14 of the constitution, which made no mention of mothers when it comes to conferring citizenship to a person born outside of Malaysia.
