PUTRAJAYA: After the backlash from civil society groups over proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution on citizenship, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail reiterates that he is open to engaging with them.
He said engagements had also been previously carried out, including with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).
“They have their reservations but I am ready to engage.
“I am open to meeting with them and there is no issue.
“Through engagements, I can listen to them and I appeal that they listen to me as well,” he said here yesterday.
On the issue of foundlings suffering statelessness if the proposed amendments take effect, Saifuddin Nasution said he wanted civil rights groups to listen to the ministry’s perspective as well.
He said foundlings will not lose their opportunity to become citizens. “Even now, there is a large number of applications of foundlings who have exceeded a certain age being processed under Article 15A (of the Federal Constitution).
“Critics say the amendments will close the door and create a larger group of stateless people, but what we want to reiterate is that applications will still be processed through registration,” he added.
When asked if the proposed amendments would be tabled this year, Saifuddin Nasution said it would be “as soon as possible”.
He said it depends on how much longer the engagements will go on.
“Once the engagements are complete, then I will take further steps,” he said, adding that engagements were also held with Perikatan Nasional MPs yesterday.
On March 8, Saifuddin Nasution said the Cabinet had given the green light to the proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution related to citizenship, with plans for it to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this year.
The minister was criticised by several quarters when he announced in the Dewan Rakyat last November that the proposed amendments would be tabled soon.
Although the amendments would resolve the issue of citizenship of children born to Malaysian mothers abroad, civil rights groups said the changes would create a larger class of stateless children.
The groups also made repeated calls to decouple the proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution on citizenship.
They said the government should proceed with the proposed amendments allowing children born abroad to Malaysian mothers to obtain citizenship, but the “regressive” proposed amendments should be dropped.
