Ex Bersatu 6 Opens Door For Mps To Fight Bad Amendments

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Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul's ruling in the six former Bersatu MPs case may be a setback for the anti-hopping law but it may have also opened the door for other lawmakers to fight for justice.
Specifically, Johari's ruling has set a precedent that MPs need not fear losing their seats just because they went against their party.
This means that when the government's citizenship amendments are debated in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow, government MPs are free to reject regressive elements in the bill.
The bill would, among others, grant women the right to pass down citizenship to their children born overseas.
However, as activists and critics have pointed out, that right is not retroactive, meaning those mothers who have been actively campaigning to get their children citizenship would not benefit from the law.
There are other problems, such as children of Orang Asli and Orang Asal who are registered as permanent residents instead of citizens will also lose their right to citizenship.
Those aged 19 to 21 who have been fighting for years to get recognised as citizens, will also have the door closed on them when the age limit for citizenship applications is lowered to 18.
Thankfully, the Malaysian Citizenship Rights Alliance (MCRA) has come up with a counter-proposal to address these flaws and others.
It is now up to MPs to ensure that the government does not bulldoze the bill, and make changes to safeguard Malaysians from statelessness. - Mkini
ZIKRI KAMARULZAMAN is a member of the Malaysiakini team.

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