Superficial Fuziah Lambasts Govt For Gender Discrimination On Citizenship Rights

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PKR Women chief Fuziah Salleh launched a salvo at the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government after a deputy minister said there were national security concerns over the dual-citizenship issue among children born abroad to Malaysian women with foreign husbands.
Deputy Home Minister Ismail Mohamed Said told the Dewan Rakyat recently that this was because most countries have a similar policy where a child born abroad will follow the nationality of their father, and so the government must be "diligent" to avoid the issue of dual-citizenship.
"The reason given by the deputy minister to justify the policy is to avoid dual-citizenship which can threaten national security - this is a superficial reason.
"PKR Women strongly condemns the statement because it is contrary to the principles of justice as well as the assertion of the principle of equality upheld by Article 8 of the Federal Constitution," Fuziah said in a Facebook post today.

The Kuantan MP added that the stance of the PN government was a practical form of discrimination not only against Malaysian women who marry foreigners but also against children born from such marriages.

"This irresponsible statement affirms that the PN government is a government that fails to understand the fundamental issues of human rights as well as oppress the rights of women and children.

"The PN government also failed to understand the social structure of society that has changed a lot and the contribution of these women whether they study, work or follow their husbands abroad, which allows their children to be born abroad," she said.
Fuziah said that the PN government must abolish discriminatory policies that oppress women and children by expediting the amendment of the Federal Constitution to ensure equality of human rights and to reject all gender-based injustices.
Former women, family, and community development deputy minister Hannah Yeoh had also sharply criticised the policy, calling it archaic and discriminatory.

Hannah Yeoh
"Let me remind the Home Ministry that what is of a greater threat to national security is corruption within their enforcement system as seen in the recent arrest of immigration and police officers. 
"Innocent children cannot and will not be a danger to our nation," Yeoh had said.
Fuziah today also claimed that this latest move showed that the government of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was one that did not care about human rights, particularly after it took the stand that the Human Rights Commission's (Suhakam) annual report should not be debated in Parliament. 
"This was stated by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Takiyuddin Hassan in answering the question of Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil on Dec 1.

"The cost of operating Suhakam, which has spent the people's money of RM13 million, has been wasted because the results of the annual report cannot be debated in the Dewan Rakyat," she added. - Mkini

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