Wanita MCA urges govt to heed public opinion to uphold High Court ruling, promote gender equality in Malaysia

Considering that various NGOs have implored the government to not appeal the High Court ruling that Malaysian mothers with foreign spouses have equal rights to citizenship conferment unto their children born overseas, Wanita MCA reiterates our call to the Home Ministry to support the court judgement and not lodge further appeals. Upholding the court’s decision reflects a government that promotes gender equality, as well as adherence with the Federal Constitution which enshrines that there should be no discrimination on grounds of gender.

More than 150 countries across the globe bestow their male and female citizens equal rights on citizenship conferment. However, Malaysia is one of among 25 countries that do not grant this equal right - This, despite Malaysia becoming a signatory of the United Nations’ Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw) in 1995, and in 2001, amended Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of gender. Yet until today, if a Malaysian mother delivers a baby to a foreign spouse abroad, unfortunately, their child will be denied and deprived of Malaysian citizenship, while a Malaysian father's child born overseas by their foreign spouse will be granted an automatic citizenship. This gender discrimination is totally unwarranted and unjust.