Family Frontiers and the Malaysian Mothers’ Network said Malaysian mothers should not face additional barriers to securing their children’s citizenship because of their PR status abroad.

According to the groups, nearly 80% of recent rejections within their networks involve Malaysian mothers holding permanent residence in other countries.

“This development appears to signify a worrisome interpretation of PR as indicative of ‘foreign allegiance’ when, in reality, PR does not equate to citizenship and is simply a means of maintaining stable residency abroad,” they said in a statement today.

The groups pointed out that in places like Hong Kong, individuals may obtain PR after residing there for a certain period of time without obtaining citizenship.

“PR status provides stability but should not be mistaken for a renouncement of one’s own nationality or a factor impeding children’s rightful citizenship,” they said.

Their comments were in response to a recent parliamentary reply from the home ministry, which indicated that a mother’s PR status abroad will be a factor when she applies for Malaysian citizenship for her overseas-born children.

“Even if a mother does not plan to take foreign citizenship, her PR status in another country requires consideration of her long-term residency intentions and loyalty to Malaysia, which are important for assessing citizenship applications,” the ministry said in the reply.

The groups urged the ministry to review cases of citizenship rejections involving PR-status mothers and called for greater transparency on the grounds for these rejections, which they said remain unclear.

“We urge policymakers to recognise that all Malaysian mothers – irrespective of their PR status – deserve the assurance that their children’s rightful citizenship will be protected and to follow the rule of law,” the statement added.