KUALA LUMPUR – Pengerang MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said is prepared to lead a delegation of lawmakers to Istana Negara as part of the push to allow children born overseas to be granted citizenship through their Malaysian mothers.
This follows a recent motion filed by her and several other MPs in the Dewan Rakyat for the tabling of a private member’s bill to amend the federal constitution to grant equal rights to both parents in regards to the nationality of their kids.
Speaking in a podcast session with The Vibes, Azalina said her push is centred on the simple reason that the law should be fair to both genders, describing as “archaic” the current constitutional provision stipulating that only children born overseas to a Malaysian father will be considered a citizen.
“With all due respect, I think that is (absurd),” the chairman of the parliamentary special select committee on women and children affairs and social development said.
“I think my select committee consisting of MPs from both sides of the divide, and some senators, are willing to speak to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Conference of Rulers to explain, not just from the perspective of politicians, but NGOs as well.
With women making up about 50% of our population, we (Malaysia) have to progress. We have to keep going forward.”
In a statement on September 19, Azalina, who is the former special law adviser to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, had revealed that she has filed a motion for the tabling of a private member’s bill for the constitutional amendment.
Several other opposition MPs, namely Fuziah Salleh, Fahmi Fadzil, Alice Lau, and Hannah Yeoh, also later noted that they have similarly submitted a notice to Parliament pushing for the bill.
Govt must prioritise this private member’s bill: Azalina
Azalina said while she understands that most MPs are on board with the proposed amendment, it is now the duty of the government to take up the bill and table it in Parliament.
Based on Standing Order 15(1) of the Dewan Rakyat, government bills shall take precedence over private members’ businesses, which most often do not see the light of day.
“The government has to accept this private member’s bill and turn it into a government bill. It’s just a sentence in the constitution (that we are seeking to amend),” she said.
Asked why there has been a reluctance on the part of the government in pushing for the bill itself, Azalina said: “You have to ask the minister in charge.”
I don’t know. I think it has to do with the fact it is something that has been going on for quite some time. I won’t call it (the current provision) draconian, but I think the thinking is a bit ancient,” she added.
Azalina said even in the event of a constitutional amendment, the government could still impose administrative orders or policies to place certain restrictions pertaining to the granting of citizenship, if there is a need.
She lamented that having a blanket provision explicitly written in the constitution that usurps the rights of Malaysian mothers from granting citizenship to their overseas-born children means that even the court’s hands are tied.
Citizenship is an issue involving young women. They go abroad, study, and fall in love. Are you telling me they can only fall in love with Malaysians? That’s unfair.
“The government can do a lot of things regarding the whole standard operating procedure and administrative matters. But (women want) that entitlement, to know they can come back to their country and know they won’t be discriminated against just based on their gender.
“Many families out there may be in relationships with foreigners. I mean, come on, most of the politicians, they must have, too.
“At the end of the day, men have to say something, too. It cannot just be the women politicians,” she said. – The Vibes, September 28, 2022
Tune into the full episode of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Ep 14 with Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said this Saturday
