The Pasir Gudang MP is the latest government backbencher to criticise Cabinet approval of proposed amendments to citizenship laws.

He questioned why Putrajaya wanted to transfer the power over citizenship of “innocent babies” from the Federal Constitution to the home minister and the administrative bureaucracy.

“What is the point for a government to call themselves a ‘reformasi’ (administration) yet show no love and humanity for the basic rights of innocent babies,” Malaysiakini quoted him as saying.

Hassan, who in the past has taken the government to task over other issues, said Putrajaya had no reason to amend the provision that grants citizenship to abandoned children.

He then vowed to oppose the amendments when it is tabled in the Dewan Rakyat. Hassan said the country has a moral duty to protect foundlings as they were victims of parental neglect.

Hassan’s criticism follows earlier criticism of the proposed amendments from fellow backbencher Ramkarpal Singh of DAP.

Ramkarpal said in Dewan Rakyat last week that the proposal should be withdrawn or at least postponed for further study as it’s “illogical and unreasonable” to force foundlings into a lengthy and uncertain bureaucratic registration process.

On March 8, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that the proposed constitutional amendments had been given green light by the government and would be tabled in Parliament this month.