MalayMail-June 22
Malaysian mothers have waited years to see if the Malaysian government would recognize their children born overseas as citizens. Unlike Malaysian fathers who can pass on their citizenship almost automatically to their children born overseas to foreigner mothers, Malaysian mothers may only pass on their citizenship automatically to their children if they are born in Malaysia, based on the Federal Constitution. The High Court in September 2021 decided in a lawsuit that the Federal Constitution should be interpreted to enable Malaysian mothers to pass on their citizenship to their children born overseas. They would be able to use the same Article 14 provisions that Malaysian men have been using to automatically pass on citizenship to their overseas-born children. The government has appealed to the Court of Appeal, which decided in December that the High Court’s decision remains effective even while waiting for the appeal to be decided. This allowed Malaysian mothers to start applying under Article 14. The Court of Appeal was initially due to decide today on the government’s appeal, but it is understood that it will be for further hearing of constitutional issues instead. Read more at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/06/22/manadokumenkami-heartbreak-still-for-malaysian-mothers-waiting-years-for-malaysias-bureaucracy-to-accept-their-children-as-citizens/13572
