Citizenship amendments receive rulers' nod, says home minister

The Conference of Rulers has greenlit amendments to the citizenship bill that was presented by the Home Ministry yesterday.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail revealed this in a press conference today.

“This means that the next process can begin in Parliament in the next session (in October),” he said.

Yesterday, it was reported that the ministry was granted an audience with the Conference of Rulers to present the citizenship amendment bill as it involves constitutional changes and has to be approved by the monarchs.

When asked whether there are any updates to the clauses of the amendments, he said that Sections 14(1)(b), 19B, and 14(1)(e) would remain the same but did not elaborate further.

“All other related amendments that we presented to the Conference of Rulers have been consented to,” he added.

Saifuddin previously wanted the bill to be debated and passed in March but it was postponed at the last minute.

This was amid pushback against provisions in the bill that activists said could cause more Malaysians to become stateless.

Disputed provisions

In March, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced plans to amend Section 14(1)(b), proposing to replace the word “father” with “parents, mother, or father”. This draft amendment was presented to the Conference of Rulers for approval.

Section 19B, Part III of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution currently grants automatic citizenship by operation of law to foundlings. 

This provision gives them the benefit of the doubt regarding their birth date and place, considering their biological parents’ unknown status.

Similarly, Section 14(1)(e), Part II of the Second Schedule extends legal protection to vulnerable groups including children born out of wedlock, adopted and abandoned stateless children, and indigenous communities.

Initially, there was a proposal to change the citizenship status of individuals under Sections 19B and 14(1)(e) from “by operation of law” to “by registration”.

However, after extensive consultations with MPs, party representatives, legal experts, state agency officials, and party chief whips, the Home Ministry withdrew this proposal.

Previously, the minister received the Malaysian Citizenship Rights Alliance’s (MCRA) counter-proposal on the citizenship amendments and viewed the meeting as a “positive development”.

The NGO’s recommendations include making Malaysian mothers’ right to pass down citizenship to children born overseas retroactive, a three-year transition period before the new citizenship age limit of 18 was imposed, adding safeguards to a mother’s right to pass citizenship, and retaining the right for the children of indigenous permanent residents to gain obtain citizenship.

Statelessness has no place here - Kedah princess

Home ministry to meet rulers council on citizenship amendments

LETTER | Delay in debating citizenship changes adds to M'sian mums' suffering

Citizenship amendments debate postponed again

Princess meets stateless boy as vote on citizenship amendments nears

Xenophobia a political tool to justify Sabah evictions, activist says