Cabinet papers on citizenship issue to be tabled next month - Saifuddin
Saifuddin. - Photo by Bernama.
The amendment touches on the issue of allowing Malaysia mothers who are married to foreign spouses to pass on their citizenship to their overseas-born children
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said a special had been formed to study the legal aspects of the proposed amendment.
As it stands, children born overseas to Malaysian women are not entitled to automatic citizenship as the Federal Constitution only provides for citizenship through fathers.
" We wish to work on it and bring it forth to the Cabinet for it to be finalised,” he said at a press conference held after his official visit to the National Registration Department (JPN), here, on Monday.
He said the special committee will also monitor the issue of citizenship for illegitimate children.
“ The committee will look into all cases, any laws that are amended we will manage and look into it as we go along," he said
Meanwhile, Saifuddin added that JPN has received 54,000 citizenship applications since 2017.
7,000 applications have been approved while 36,000 cases were still being processed.
Saifuddin said the government would continue the process in the Federal Court involving an application of a woman, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and six local mothers to appeal against the decision made by by the Court of Appeal regarding the automatic citizenship of children born to Malaysian women abroad.
He said the legal procedures would not prevent the determination of the new government to see the amendments take place.
“We will let the court proceedings continue, for now I don't think it will impact our work on the amendments, " he said.
