The NGO, which fights for equal citizenship rights, said Malaysian women are struggling to submit fresh applications, with the problem particularly affecting widowed or divorced Malaysians wanting to bring their children home.
“During the last parliamentary session, we heard the minister’s announcements about approving applications, but it doesn’t resolve the existing problem with rejections.
“So far, no reasons have been provided for rejecting the applications submitted by mothers from March onwards,” Family Frontiers president Suriani Kempe said at a press conference today.
In March, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, when addressing complaints about summary rejections, announced that those who applied for Malaysian citizenship would receive an explanation as to why their applications were rejected.
Suriani said 34 of the 40 applications handled by the Family Frontiers mothers’ network which were rejected by the government had been submitted by mothers living overseas.
Meanwhile, Family Frontiers executive committee member Chee Yoke Ling said if the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 – which seeks to amend the Second Schedule to the Federal Constitution – passes, children born to Malaysian mothers before the amendment is gazetted will remain non-citizens.
“If the amendment passed is not retroactive, there will be a whole population of children born to Malaysian mothers who remain in limbo – unable to apply for Malaysian citizenship,” she said.
The amendment prevents children born overseas to Malaysian mothers who are over 21 years old from applying for citizenship, Chee said. She said matters would become even more challenging if their mothers have died.
Suriani said countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Sri Lanka, and Iran have in recent years amended their laws to plug this gap.
“In the context of Malaysia, which complains about brain drain and various other issues, there are many Malaysian children who want to become productive citizens and contribute to Malaysia’s economy, but they are not given the opportunity due to gender discrimination,” she said.