Photo: Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: The proposed amendment to the Constitution on citizenship laws will have to wait for now, as the Bill was not tabled for the third reading nor put for a vote in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (March 27).
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pic) had tabled the amendment Bill for the second reading on Wednesday.
However, the House adjourned shortly after as Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul delivered his closing speech on the last day of the current meeting.
An amendment to the Federal Constitution will require two-thirds support in the Dewan Rakyat.
This means 148 MPs would have to vote in favour of the Bill.
Earlier, Saifuddin Nasution said when tabling the Bill for its Second Reading that he he has looked into the decisions of 3,000 citizenship applications under Article 15(2) of the Federal Constitution.
Article 15(2) is related to cases of children born overseas to Malaysian mothers.
“I have the commitment to resolve every application under Article 15A, which is foundlings or abandoned children, children born out wedlock or adopted children,” he said.
“There are 14,000 pending (cases) on my desk and I give MPs in this honorable House my commitment for which I can be held accountable that we will decide on all 14,000 cases before Dec 31, 2024," added Saifuddin Nasution.
He said the amendments were made with the aim of improving the conferment of citizenships and not to breach human rights.
Before the Bill was tabled for the second reading, Hassan Karim(PH-Pasir Gudang) said he had sent a notice to Johari for it to be referred to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) before it is passed.
Johari then said he will consider the notice after the minister tables the Bill for the Second Reading.
The Dewan Rakyat will convene for its next meeting on June 24.
In an immediate reaction, the Malaysian Citizenship Rights Alliance (MCRA) said it hoped to have an engagement with Parliamentarians on the concerns it has raised regarding several provisions of the Bill to arrive at the best solutions.
