The government will begin the process of amending the Constitution to allow Malaysian women the right to confer their citizenship onto their overseas born children

The government will begin the process of amending the Constitution to allow Malaysian women the right to confer their citizenship onto their overseas born children.

Law Minister Azalina Othman says she will submit a joint memorandum with Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution.

“Saifuddin Nasution and I will, as soon as possible, submit a joint memorandum to the cabinet to propose amendments to Part II, Second Schedule of the Federal Cabinet concerning the issue of citizenship,” she says.

This is regarding children born overseas to foreign fathers. Being born in Malaysia does not guarantee automatic citizenship, says the Home ministry.

The ministry told the Dewan Rakyat, the status is determined on the basis of the parents’ citizenship and marriage status at the time of the child’s birth.

The ministry adds that JPN will still register all births in Malaysia, regardless of the applicant’s identification documents.

Failure to submit the relevant evidence could result in the birth certificate not being issued.