PETALING JAYA – Not a day went by that Malaysian mother Sabeena Syed Jafer did not think or worry for her overseas-born children’s future as her family moved back to Malaysia in 2008.
The mother of four spent the majority of her life struggling and fighting for her children’s citizenship as she navigated through Malaysia’s gender-discriminatory citizenship laws.
The past 13 years had been an uphill battle, to say the least, for Sabeena and her family but the housewife refused to give up fighting for her children’s citizenship – until her very last breath.
Sabeena’s daughter Niba Zaidi said it mattered the world to her mother for her and her siblings, who were born in Pakistan, to be recognised as Malaysians.
Niba explained that their citizenship applications were rejected twice and both times, no reasons were given.
The youngest of four siblings could not hold back her tears when she remembered how her mother was left with no choice but to send her older siblings away as they were no longer able to remain in the country as adults.
“My mum wasn’t the kind of person to want to send her children away, she never wanted that. She had no choice but to send her children away because we don’t have citizenship.
“My two brothers were sent to London, United Kingdom, and China, respectively, for studies. My sister stayed in Malaysia until she turned 20 and found a job at Qatar Airways and moved to Doha, Qatar.
“Every five years, my mum would send a child away,” she said.
The 23-year-old spoke to press members in a yasin recital and tahlil prayers in remembrance of Sabeena at Taman Jaya Park yesterday evening.
Also present at the event were citizenship advocacy group Family Frontiers (FF) Suriani Kempe and Muda central executive committee (CEC) member Datin Dian Lee.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Niba said her mother would fly out of the country at least two to three times a year to visit her children who were residing abroad.
Since 2020, Sabeena was not able to be with her children and grandchildren due to closure of borders which resulted in them being separated for over two years.
“She had always wanted to be with her children. She loved her grandchildren so much but wasn’t able to see them.
“Her wish was to have her family together. It was very painful. Travelling back and forth definitely took a toll on her health.”
Just before Ramadan this year, Niba said, her mother had to undergo an angioplasty when the doctor discovered a blockage in one of her arteries during a routine medical check-up.
Sabeena agreed to undergo the procedure and wanted to be in the pink of health when her children and their respective families returned home to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
However, during the procedure on March 29, she suffered from a heart attack and passed away.
“My mom loved us so much that our hearts are broken because of the love she showered on us.
“Her last wish was for all four of us to get our citizenships. That has always been her dream,” Niba said.
Malaysia is one of 22 countries in the world that do not give mothers and fathers equal rights when it comes to passing on citizenship to their children.
The constitution grants Malaysian fathers the automatic right to confer citizenship on their children born overseas, but not Malaysian mothers.
On September 9 last year, the high court ruled that Malaysian mothers have the right to confer citizenship to their children born overseas, on equal basis with Malaysian men.
However, the federal government has since sought leave to challenge the ruling, with the Court of Appeal set to decide on June 22 if the government should be allowed to appeal against the landmark decision.
FF president Suriani said she hopes for the appellate court to reach a verdict which would be in the favour of Malaysian women and mothers.
“The discrimination is illogical. What is the difference between fathers and mothers?
“It is high time for the government to grant equal rights to both Malaysian men and women, no more no less. We just want equal rights,” she said.
Muda CEC member Lee also echoed similar sentiments.
Lee called for the government to look into the pressing matter as well as for the National Registration Department to uphold the high court ruling while awaiting for the Court of Appeal’s verdict.
“It’s 2022. We (women) should have equal rights as men and the government should have empathy.
“We are hoping for a positive outcome during the appeal,” she said. – The Vibes, June 7, 2022
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