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Liew applauds constitutional amendment to grant automatic citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian mums

Date : February 19, 2023

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) Chairman Datuk Christina Liew applauded the Central Government’s decision to amend the Federal Constitution to enable children born overseas to Malaysian mothers and non-Malaysian fathers to gain automatic Malaysian citizenship by operation of law (without having to apply to be Malaysian citizens as is the current situation).

The decision was announced in a joint statement on Saturday by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Law and Institutional Reform Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

According to them, the proposed amendment to the Federal Constitution in this matter is to replace the word ‘whose father’ in Part I and Part II of the Second Schedule with the words ‘at least one of the parents’ to enable Malaysian mothers to receive their just rights (according to the Federal Constitution.

Liew, who is also Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, described the move as an equal rights victory for Malaysian mothers (with foreign spouses) who, for decades, have been crying out for justice for their children born abroad to be granted automatic citizenship.

“We applaud this resolution to a long-standing citizenship issue which has caused a great deal of anxiety and stress to Malaysian women concerned.
“It takes the Unity Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to reach this monumental decision.
“We uphold this as an advancement for the principle of gender equality which stipulates that all persons are equal before the law, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
“As far back as 2000, women’s groups in the country, including the Confederation of Sabah and Sarawak Federations of Chinese Women Associations (of which I was Honorary President), had urged the Government to abolish discriminatory laws against women.
“In 2020, I had also called on the Government to repeal laws that were unfair to Malaysian women after a few Sabah’s cases were brought to my attention,” she said in a statement on Sunday.

In her National Women’s Day message last year, Liew had lamented that Malaysian women continued to face gender bias, despite an amendment to Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution in 2001 to prohibit gender discrimination.

She advised affected Malaysian women in Sabah to keep abreast of the latest development as the Federal Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2023 will next be expected to be tabled in the current Parliament meeting after fulfilling legal requirements (as stated by the two Federal Ministers).

“Mothers concerned must quickly follow up on their children’s applications once the Amendment Bill has been tabled and passed in the Dewan Rakyat,” said the former Tawau Member of Parliament.

Their children will then be able to enjoy equal access to education and healthcare as other Malaysian kids, Liew added.

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