KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian citizenship application process contains elements of gender inequality, said Maria Chin Abdullah (PH-Petaling Jaya).
In a parliamentary special chamber on December 15, she said the federal constitution has two provisions for citizenship applications, depending on which parent is Malaysian.
“In Article 14, automatic citizenship is given to children born overseas if their father is Malaysian. However, Malaysian women who have children overseas would have to rely on Article 15(2).”
She said the application through Article 15 is time-consuming and usually processed late, with constant rejections and no guarantee of citizenship being granted.
“As a result, there are a number of Malaysian women out there who have to rely on their foreign husbands to ensure valid citizenship status for their children.”
In a reply to Maria, Deputy Home Minister Jonathan Yasin said the ministry is working on a solution to make citizenship applications under Article 15(2) faster and easier.
Based on National Registry Department records from 2015 to November this year, a total of 3,184 citizenship applications were received, with 2,229 being processed.
“Citizenship applications through Article 15(2) can be presented to Malaysia’s high commission (offices) or NRD one year after the child is born,” said Jonathan. – The Vibes, December 21, 2020
