Why are children of Malaysian fathers and foreign mothers denied citizenship if parents were unmarried?

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Children Born Out of Wedlock Denied Citizenship Based on Parental Marital Status

The Court of Appeal has unanimously ruled that two individuals born in Malaysia are not entitled to Malaysian citizenship because their biological Malaysian fathers were not married to their non-Malaysian mothers at the time of their births. This decision means that children born out of wedlock must follow their mother's citizenship status, a precedent largely informed by a 2021 Federal Court ruling in a similar citizenship case and prior Court of Appeal judgments.
Illegitimate Births Follow Maternal Citizenship

In the case of J, a woman born in Kuala Lumpur, her birth certificate was amended to reflect her status as "non-citizen." Despite her Malaysian father raising her and her possessing a Malaysian passport, the court determined that her citizenship should align with that of her Indonesian mother, as her parents were unmarried at the time of her birth. This principle dictates that for children born outside of marriage, their citizenship is determined by the mother's status.
Rejection of Citizenship Bids Based on Constitutional Interpretation

Similarly, for D, a man born in Teluk Intan, Perak, his application for Malaysian citizenship was rejected under specific sections of the Federal Constitution. The court stated that D is not stateless, asserting he can trace his citizenship to his Filipino mother. This interpretation relies on the legal framework that prioritises the mother's citizenship for children born to unmarried parents, irrespective of the father's Malaysian status.
Precedent from Prior Court Decisions

The Court of Appeal's decision today is significantly influenced by a Federal Court ruling from 2021 concerning the citizenship case of CTEB. Furthermore, the appellate court had previously dismissed similar citizenship appeals from three other children born in Malaysia who were in comparable circumstances. These prior judgments establish a consistent legal stance on the matter of citizenship for children born out of wedlock.

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Why are children of Malaysian fathers and foreign mothers denied citizenship if parents were unmarried?

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