Mothers appalled govt appealing ruling despite backing by 3 ministers
Family Frontiers, the group that successfully mounted a constitutional challenge against unequal treatment of women in the granting of citizenship to their overseas-born children, said it is appalled by the government's decision to appeal against their victory.
The group, comprising mothers with children deprived of citizenship due to the discriminatory practice, urged the government including Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin and National Registration Department (NRD) director-general Ruslin Jusoh, to withdraw the appeal.
Family Frontiers noted that the government proceeded...
Family Frontiers, the group that successfully mounted a constitutional challenge against unequal treatment of women in the granting of citizenship to their overseas-born children, said it is appalled by the government's decision to appeal against their victory.
The group, comprising mothers with children deprived of citizenship due to the discriminatory practice, urged the government, including Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin and National Registration Department (NRD) director-general Ruslin Jusoh, to withdraw the appeal.
Family Frontiers noted that the government proceeded with the appeal against the decision of the High Court Kuala Lumpur, even though at least three federal ministers had expressed support for the ruling.
The High Court had ruled that the constitutional provision, which only granted automatic citizenship to overseas-born children if the father is Malaysian but not if the mother is Malaysian, was discriminatory.
Among those who have lauded the court decision are de facto Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun, Sarawak's Welfare, Women, Family and Early Childhood Minister Fatimah Abdullah as well as Wanita MCA.
"We are therefore shocked at the government’s move to appeal against the High Court decision, and we see this move as a betrayal of the rights that are long overdue to Malaysian women.
"The government had an opportunity to embrace the High Court’s decision, and move the needle towards greater justice and equality for its women citizens.
"Instead, the government has chosen to perpetuate this gross injustice that has plagued Malaysia since independence, the weight of which Malaysian women have borne for 64 long years," Family Frontier said in a statement.
The group noted that High Court judge Akhtar Tahir had stated that the practice favouring the father was in contravention of another constitutional provision, Article 8(2), which does not allow discrimination on the basis of gender.
They said the deprivation of citizenship for their children meant that they suffered unequal access to basic rights such as education and healthcare.
"The judgment lifted the anxiety that plagued us with the uncertainty of our children’s status, well-being and future.
"The government, by appealing against this decision, has delayed justice not just to Malaysian women, but their children and their extended families. Justice delayed is justice denied," they said.
The group of mothers also called on Malaysians to support their cause by signing a petition to urge the government to withdraw the appeal.
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