Citizenship amendments: 'Most vulnerable groups will lose protection'

Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has warned that the Constitution (Amendment) Bill on citizenship rights will remove the protection extended to vulnerable groups such as children of those who are stateless but have been born in Malaysia and lived their lives here.

In a three-minute video uploaded to X, Syed Saddiq explained why he was the only MP to vote against the bill yesterday.

"First, there are more than 120 NGOs and 84 influential individuals who have dedicated decades of work defending the most vulnerable among us - children.

“They have expressed the view that these vulnerable children will be negatively affected and lose their protection under the constitution due to the changes in this amendment.

“I put my faith in these experts who have issued statements and presented studies on this matter," he said.

"Secondly, there are already tens of thousands of children born in Malaysia who were born here, raised here, went to school here and are working here and will probably die here.

"Yet, until now, due to bureaucratic hurdles and the absence of documentation, they are being denied the right to Malaysian citizenship,” explained Syed Saddiq.

Despite this, he added, even though they are denied that right, our Constitution is unique in that it extends protection and the right of citizenship to their children. Under the new Amendments, the citizenship rights required to be extended to their children are now being withdrawn.

"As an MP representing the Muar constituency, I've seen these people. I know these problems. They love this country and now their children's rights will be seized. These are children who are in the most vulnerable groups facing poverty and marginalisation.

“They don't have connections, they can't be given citizenship, so I truly sympathise with their cause," he said.

Intergenerational statelessness

The former youth and sports minister added that the third reason is that while he had faith in the minister in charge (Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail) over the processing of applications and his response to queries, this issue extends beyond respect for the minister.

He warned that the amendments would create an intergenerational statelessness problem in the country.

READ MORE: KINIGUIDE | How could constitutional changes make more people stateless?

"I think those who drafted the Constitution were aware of the need to protect the most vulnerable group of children.

"If we were to allow these changes, it would have an impact for decades, regardless of which parties form the government. That's why I think we need to give trust and faith in the Constitutional safeguards (which exist).

Yesterday, the Dewan Rakyat passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill on citizenship rights via bloc vote.

Seventy MPs debated the bill at the second reading stage, followed by a bloc vote after Saifuddin’s winding-up speech.

Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul announced that 206 MPs had voted for the bill, while only Syed Saddiq opposed it, 14 MPs were absent, and one - Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (PN-Machang) - was suspended.

Critics have argued that the bill may deny children of “permanent residents” automatic citizenship.

Other controversial amendments include one to shorten the window for stateless Malaysians to register for citizenship from 21 years to 18.

Another amendment could end up nullifying citizenship granted to foreign wives of Malaysian men if the women decide to leave a bad marriage.

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