KUALA LUMPUR: The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 on citizenship was passed in the Dewan Rakyat today by a two-third majority after a long debate by 70 members of parliament.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul announced that the bill was accepted by the majority of MPs, where 206 agreed, one disagreed, one did not vote due to suspension and 14 were not in attendance.
A total of 221 MPs voted for the bill.
An amendment to the Federal Constitution requires two-third support in the Dewan Rakyat. This means that a minimum of 148 MPs were required to vote in favour of the Bill.
In concluding his winding-up speech, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin said the amendments would become a more inclusive and fairer law, protecting the rights of Malaysian citizens wherever they may be.
The bill was tabled for the first reading on March 25 but received criticism from various quarters. It was tabled for a second reading in this session and a third reading with no amendments today.
Among the proposed amendments included Article 15(1)(c) adding the requirement of adequate Malay language knowledge for foreign women married to a Malaysian, as part of her application for citizenship, which the Home Ministry said is consistent with the Federal Constitution.
The proficiency tests would include written tests and direct interviews.
Another amendment to Article 15A will bring the age limit for citizenship applications down from 21 to 18.
The new limit would also apply for those who previously obtained citizenship by law, requiring them to take their oath of citizenship before turning 18 in order to remain a Malaysian.
Another proposal to Part II of the Second Schedule in Section 14(1)(b) automatically gives citizenship to children born abroad to Malaysian women with foreign spouses, as was already the case for the children of Malaysian men.
However, the proposed amendment will not be retroactive.
The amendment in Part II of the Second Schedule removed "permanent residents" from among those whose children would gain citizenship from birth in Malaysia, and would instead require at least one parent to be Malaysian in order to be eligible.
Another amendment is on foreign women who became Malaysian through marriage would have this revoked if their marriage were to be dissolved within two years of them gaining citizenship, when the limit was previously two years from the date of marriage.