KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — The Conference of Rulers had requested that Malaysia’s citizenship laws contain a “control mechanism” to allow only those who are eligible, the Home Ministry said today after Parliament passed a constitutional amendment over the matter.
The ministry said Putrajaya recognises that laws are dynamic rather than static, adding that all amendments were carefully considered to benefit both the country and its citizens, while also following international standards.
“The 261st Meeting of the Conference of Rulers on February 22m 2023 declared that this Bill cannot be amended by merely including the word ‘mother’, as there is no control element.
“A control element was requested to be established to ensure that citizenship status is not granted to ineligible individuals and that the process is made more stringent,” it said.
The ministry said that it had also conducted engagement sessions with various stakeholders and interested parties, such as academics, NGOs and others, to ensure that the amendments to the Bill received views and support from diverse groups.
Earlier, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024, which introduces significant changes to Malaysia’s citizenship laws, was unanimously passed in the Dewan Rakyat, exceeding the required two-thirds majority.
As an amendment to the Federal Constitution, the Bill required the support of two-thirds of MPs in the Dewan Rakyat to pass, meaning a minimum of 148 out of 222 MPs needed to vote in favour. However, a total of 206 MPs voted in support of the Bill.
Following the amendments today, among others, children born abroad to Malaysian women with foreign spouses would now qualify for automatic citizenship, as was already the case for children of Malaysian men.
The amendments come on the heels of a string of court cases brought by the Family Frontiers Organisation, Suriani Kempe, and six other women, against the Malaysian government in 2021.
