Sexist citizenship laws should be reviewed - Najib
KUALA LUMPUR - Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said sexist citizenship laws should be reviewed and updated to ensure it remains fair and equal.
However, he said he will leave the matter to the government to review and decide.
“Laws are subjected to review from time to time, the main principle (of this) is it should be fair and (there should be) justice," he told Sinar Daily.
“We do not want to be known as sexist in any way, we want it to be fair,” he said on the sidelines of 2022 Wanita Umno Convention at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) today.
Wanita BN chairman Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad also raised the issue, stating that the women's wing was concerned about the unsolved issue of automatic citizenship for children born abroad to Malaysian women.
She too, like many other Parliamentarians appealed to the government to amend the Federal Constitution.
"We appeal to the government to amend the Federal Constitution so that the word ‘father’ under Article 14(1)(b) of the Constitution and Section 1(b) Part II of the Constitution be extended to include ‘mother’ or be changed to "parents,” she said in her adjournment speech at the Wanita BN convention here today.
Najib added that there was a basis for Wanita's request and they they would look into the request on the principles of being fair and just.
In the same event, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the matter is under the jurisdiction of the court.
Ismail Sabri also said it would be unfair if he expressed his point of view on the matter as it could be deemed as interfering with the court's decision.
Malaysians have been up in arms over the issue of women being unable to pass down their citizenship status to their children born overseas with foreign husbands due to the laws implemented in the country.
On Aug 5, the Court of Appeal in a 2-1 majority decision ruled that children born abroad to Malaysian mothers married to foreigners are not legally entitled to Malaysian citizenship.
