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KUALA LUMPUR: There is no discrimination against Malaysian women with regard to citizenship of children born abroad through marriages with foreigners, says Deputy Interior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Mohamed Said.
“I understand the feelings of mothers and women in the country that citizenship is automatically granted to the children of Malaysian fathers born abroad through recognized and proper marriages with foreign women.
“But if a Malaysian woman marries a foreigner, regardless of whether the marriage is appropriate and recognized, the foreign-born child will not automatically be granted citizenship.”
“This is to prevent the child from possessing dual citizenship and in other countries the citizenship of the child will follow that of the father,” he said when answering a question posed by Natrah Ismail (PH-Sekijang) in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (3 from December). .
Natrah asked why there is discrimination against Malaysian women on the issue and if the government intends to implement the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw).
He noted that it only takes about three months for children born to foreign wives to obtain citizenship, while applications from those born to foreign men are rejected or take years to process.
Mohamed Ismail noted that Malaysian citizenships are governed by Articles 14 and 15 of the Federal Constitution.
He said that Malaysian women, whose children were born abroad through foreign marriages and have not yet obtained citizenship, can apply for citizenship to the National Registration Department.
“If the public and non-governmental organizations face problems, they can meet with officials from the Department of National Registration.
“The issue of citizenship is a question of security and sovereignty,” he added.
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