Malaysian mothers are still struggling for the citizenship of their children born outside the country.
Aniza Ismail, who lived in USA for 10 years, returned to Malaysia with her two daughters in 2009. The 50-year-old mother wanted her daughters to get closer to her extended family and understand Islam.
Aniza is Malaysian and the family has been living in Malaysia since 2009, but her daughters, born in USA, could not get Malaysian citizenship after 12 years of stay in Malaysia, because the girls were born outside the country.
Meanwhile, Malaysian women who marry foreigners cannot pass their citizenship to their children born outside Malaysia because the country’s constitution offers this right to Malaysian men, Al-Jazeera.com reported today.
Aniza said, “Why do fathers have the right, but not mothers? My two eldest daughters born in USA can’t get citizenship, but my youngest born in Malaysia automatically gets citizenship.
Importantly, Article 14(1)(b) of Malaysian constitution offers fathers the automatic citizenship to their children born abroad – but it does not mention of mothers.
In September 2021, a Malaysia High Court gave a ruling in the mothers’ favour, the government, however, has opposed it. The court is expected to announce its decision on government’s petition on August 5.
Malaysia is one of 28 countries in the world which prevent women from passing their nationality to their children on an equal basis with men.
For decades, Malaysian mothers have had to rely on Article 15(2) of the constitution – which allows anyone under the age of 21 to apply for citizenship, as long as one parent is Malaysian – to try to secure citizenship for their children born abroad.
