Why did Zahid Hamidi not address citizenship for children born abroad earlier?

Question

Accepted Answer

Zahid Hamidi's Inaction on Foreign-Born Children's Citizenship Questioned

Caretaker Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has questioned why Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi did not address the citizenship rights of children born abroad to Malaysian mothers during his tenure as Home Minister. Hamzah suggested that the issue has only recently been included in the Barisan Nasional (BN) election manifesto, implying it is an adopted initiative from Perikatan Nasional's (PN) own manifesto. Hamzah further pledged that if re-elected and appointed to the Cabinet, he would work to resolve this citizenship issue, citing existing Federal Constitution laws as a constraint he has faced.
Claims of Manifesto Copying

Hamzah stated that the citizenship issue was included in PN's manifesto, and that BN is now copying these initiatives. He specifically pointed out that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, having served as Home Minister for an extended period, did not include this matter in past manifestos, questioning the timing of its inclusion now. Hamzah expressed his belief that this demonstrates a trend of other parties adopting PN's agenda, suggesting that widespread support could lead to a resolution.
Pledged Resolution and Constitutional Hurdles

Should he be re-elected and serve in the Cabinet, Hamzah has pledged to ensure the citizenship issue is settled. He acknowledged sympathising with the difficulties faced by these families and stated that his hands have been "tied owing to existing laws under the Federal Constitution." This suggests that while sympathetic, previous attempts to address the issue were constrained by constitutional limitations.
High Court Ruling and Subsequent Appeals

The citizenship rights of children born abroad to Malaysian mothers have been a subject of legal contention. On September 9, 2021, the High Court ruled that these children are entitled to Malaysian citizenship by law, ordering authorities to issue citizenship documents. However, the government appealed this decision, and the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court's ruling on August 5, 2022, effectively denying Malaysian women the same automatic citizenship rights for their children that Malaysian men enjoy.
Federal Court Hearing Set

The plaintiffs in the case have since appealed the Court of Appeal's decision to the Federal Court. The Federal Court has scheduled December 14 as the date to hear the application for leave to appeal, indicating a further legal process to determine the citizenship status of these children.

Reading history

Hide →

This history is cleared when the page is closed.

Why did Zahid Hamidi not address citizenship for children born abroad earlier?

Loading

Was this article helpful?

Helpful

Not helpful

Report an issue

1

0

0

Share with friends