PUTRAJAYA, Jan 9 — The Home Ministry has set up a special committee to look into citizenship issues from all aspects in a comprehensive manner.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said issues to be given focus include delayed cases, children born abroad and local women married to foreign men.
“I will ensure the citizenship application process is made easier in a comprehensive manner without compromising aspects involving the country’s national security,” he told reporters after a working visit to the National Registration Department (NRD) headquarters here today.
Saifuddin was asked on Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s statement recently that the government will soon begin the process to amend the Federal Constitution to resolve the citizenship status issue of children born abroad to Malaysian women with foreign spouses.
Amendments to Part II of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution will allow these children to be given the right to Malaysian citizenship similar to those born abroad if the father is Malaysian.
“I can confirm Azalina’s announcement and the special committee will be fully focusing on citizenship issues,” Saifuddin said.
He said the working paper prepared by the special committee will be presented to the Cabinet next month at the latest.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin said the leave granted by the Federal Court to family rights group, Family Support and Welfare Selangor and Kuala Lumpur (Family Frontiers), and six other women to proceed with their appeal against the Appeal Court’s decision that their children could not obtain Malaysian citizenships will not interfere with the government’s commitment to go ahead with the proposed amendments.
He said the case will go ahead through the proper legal process but it will not stop the government from looking into the proposed amendments.
On Dec 14, Family Frontiers and six Malaysian mothers obtained leave to proceed with their appeal against a Court of Appeal’s ruling which denied automatic citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian mothers with foreign spouses.
A Federal Court three-member panel led by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim also granted leave to appeal to India-born Mahisha Sulaiha Abdul Majeed, who is also seeking to be recognised as a Malaysian citizen.
On Aug 5, the Court of Appeal in a 2-1 majority decision overturned a High Court ruling that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers with foreign spouses were entitled to automatic Malaysian citizenship.
