AG seeks to overturn citizenship ruling for overseas-born children

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: The government has gone to the Court of Appeal to set aside last week’s High Court decision that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers are entitled to citizenship by operation of law.

Attorney-General Idrus Harun in a text message to FMT said the notice of appeal was filed this morning.

Once the written judgment is made available, the government will file a memorandum of appeal to outline where the trial judge has erred in law and facts.

The High Court ruling last week came after six Malaysian women and the family support group Family Frontiers filed suit in December against certain provisions of the Federal Constitution which they said were discriminatory.

The provisions in the Constitution allow only the father to pass on his citizenship to his children born outside the federation.


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[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: An NGO and an MP have called on the government to withdraw its notice of appeal against the High Court decision that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers are entitled to citizenship by operation of law.

Family Frontiers said the appeal should be withdrawn to ensure that injustice against Malaysian women was not perpetuated.

Separately, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh said the issue would be a big test for the “Malaysian Family” concept espoused by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

In a statement, Family Frontiers called on Malaysians, both in the country and abroad, to sign a petition calling on the government to withdraw its appeal, which went against women’s rights on citizenship matters.

“We are appalled and deeply disappointed by the government’s move to appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision that affirmed Malaysian women’s right to confer citizenship automatically on their children born overseas on an equal basis with Malaysian men,” it said.


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