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KUALA LUMPUR – Three Malaysian mothers who have been entangled in a court battle over their children’s legal nationalities have finally received the citizenship certificates they sought from the National Registration Department (NRD).
In a statement, citizenship advocacy group Family Frontiers (FF) said the department had requested the mothers to be present at its headquarters in Putrajaya to collect the documents.
However, the group said the issuance of the certificates was delayed for four hours due to the department having issues with “printer settings”.
“This is a long-overdue and momentous occasion today for the three plaintiffs whose children received their citizenship documents, and a reason to hope for Malaysian mothers across Malaysia and all over the world who continue to wait for their children’s citizenship documents,” Family Frontiers said in the statement.
On December 21, the Court of Appeal rejected Putrajaya’s application for a stay of execution against a high court decision that confirmed Malaysian mothers’ equal rights to automatically confer citizenship to their overseas-born children.
A three-quorum panel featuring judges Datuk Seri Kamaludin Md Said, Datuk S Nantha Balan and Datuk See Mee Chun agreed with senior lawyer Datuk Gurdial Singh Nijar who told the court the current matter is about people, not property or money.
He emphasised that the children should be allowed to enjoy the fruits of the successful high court judgement immediately.
Family Frontiers had filed a constitutional challenge with the Kuala Lumpur High Court on December 18, 2020, seeking a declaration that Malaysian women married to foreign spouses can automatically confer citizenship on their children.
After the landmark decision, FF said the ruling is in line with Putrajaya’s commitment made on September 24 to amend the federal constitution to give recognition to the previous high court decision.
Meanwhile, FF president Suri Kempe said the high court’s judgment on September 9 applies to all Malaysian mothers and their children in similar situations.
“However, feedback that FF has received in the ensuing months from mothers who went to submit their documents demonstrates that there is a lack of procedural clarity among NRD branches and embassies or high commissions,” she said.
“While we appreciate the government’s quick action for three out of the six plaintiffs, we would like to remind the government that the high court order applies to all Malaysian mothers and their children facing similar obstacles.”
She said some mothers were given a list of different requirements and varying instructions when submitting their documents, adding that specific guidelines were needed to reduce red tape.
Furthermore, FF has also called on the government to withdraw its appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court judgement. It said the Court of Appeal hearing is on March 23 this year. – The Vibes, February 21, 2022