Minister Sympathises With Mums After Govt Appeals Citizenship Ruling

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Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has pledged to speak his mind when the issue pertaining to the government's decision to appeal a court verdict on citizenship for overseas-born children of Malaysian mothers and foreign fathers is raised in the cabinet meeting.
"I am sympathetic with them (the six Malaysian mothers who filed the suit in the High Court)," the de facto law minister told Malaysiakini when contacted.
"The matter is not under my ministry, it's under the purview of the Home Affairs Ministry.
"However, if the Home Ministry raises the issue officially in the cabinet, I will express my view definitely," Wan Junaidi (above) said, adding that he was not officially informed about the matter.
An amendment to the Federal Constitution is perhaps the best way to end the dilemma of the mothers who gave birth to their children overseas, he acknowledged.
"The High Court's decision is subject to appeal as we have a two-tier avenue for an appeal.

"If the thing doesn't go along the way you think it should be, then the only way out is to petition to the government for a change to the Constitution to give equal rights to the mothers," Wan Junaidi said. 


On Sept 9, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled that overseas-born children of Malaysian mothers should be automatically conferred Malaysian citizenship. 
Wan Junaidi, together with Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun, had hailed the landmark ruling. 
However, the government decided to appeal against the Sept 9 court verdict. 
On Dec 18 last year, the six mothers and Family Frontiers filed the legal action, seeking a declaration that Malaysian women married to foreign spouses can automatically get citizenship for their children born overseas.
This came after the government refused to budge on allowing the children of these mothers to be eligible for citizenship. - Mkini

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