UN experts denounce Malaysia's gender-discriminatory citizenship law

After the high court decision in Sep 2021, a few mothers were successful in getting citizenships for their children born abroad. Filepic

A panel of experts from the United Nations have denounced a recent court decision in Malaysia that denied Malaysian women the same rights as men to automatically confer citizenship to their children, saying affected women are less likely to leave abusive relationships and their children risk statelessness.

The decision, says the UN in a press statement released on Sept 5, contravenes Malaysia’s obligations under international law and "the need to interpret all constitutional provisions concerning citizenship, and its transference, without discrimination based on sex".