Why did J’s birth certificate change to “non-citizen” after age 12?

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J's Birth Certificate Status Changed to "Non-Citizen" Due to Parental Marital Status at Birth

J's birth certificate was amended to reflect a "non-citizen" status after she turned 12 because her parents were unmarried at the time of her birth. This change occurred despite her initial birth certificate in 1996 not specifying citizenship and a subsequent certificate issued in 2004 identifying her as Malaysian, and her being issued a Malaysian passport in 2006.
Initial Documentation and Subsequent Changes

J's initial birth certificate, issued in 1996, did not include a field for citizenship status, as this was not part of the registration format at that time. However, a later birth certificate, issued in 2004, did record her as a Malaysian citizen. This was followed by the issuance of a Malaysian passport to J in 2006, further indicating her recognised status.
Impact of Parental Marital Status

The critical factor leading to the amendment of J's birth certificate was the marital status of her parents at the time of her birth. When her father applied for her Malaysian identity card upon her reaching the age of 12, the authorities amended her birth certificate to indicate "non-citizen" status. This decision was based on the legal interpretation that children born out of wedlock, where the parents were not married, would follow the citizenship of the non-Malaysian mother.
Citizenship Application Rejections

Following the amendment of her birth certificate, J's applications for Malaysian citizenship were unsuccessful. The Home Ministry rejected her applications on four separate occasions between 2010 and 2021. Furthermore, the National Registration Department (NRD) reportedly did not allow her to apply for citizenship through naturalisation under Article 19 of the Federal Constitution in 2023.

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Why did J’s birth certificate change to “non-citizen” after age 12?

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