KUALA LUMPUR: A family advocacy group has praised the Dewan Negara's swift approval of an amendment that grants Malaysian women the same right as men to confer citizenship by operation of law to their overseas-born children.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO), Family Frontiers, has welcomed the amendment, highlighting the importance of its prompt implementation as a landmark step towards gender equality in citizenship.
"We are overjoyed that the bill has passed at the Dewan Negara. Each milestone brings us closer to the day when women will finally achieve legal equality in our ability to confer citizenship to children born overseas," said Family Frontiers president Adlyn Adam Teoh in a statement yesterday.
On 17 October, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 on citizenship was passed in the Dewan Rakyat by a two-thirds majority following a lengthy debate involving 70 members of parliament.
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.
However, Family Frontiers said that the amendment still remains non-retroactive, leaving behind existing mothers and children that have campaigned tirelessly for their rights as Malaysians.
"While we acknowledge the Home Minister's commitment to processing current applications under Article 15(2), the amendment still excludes children born before its implementation, those who have yet to apply, and those over the age of 18, including some whose mothers have passed away," it said.
Formed in 2018, Family Frontiers advocates for the rights of Malaysian women, particularly in relation to citizenship and family law.
Family Frontiers said it was disheartening that the three regressive amendments remain bundled together with the progressive mothers' revision.
"These include the removal of automatic citizenship for children of stateless local-born Permanent Resident holders, the lowering of the age limit for applying for citizenship from 21 to 18, and the revocation of citizenship for foreign wives if their marriage is dissolved within two years of gaining citizenship," the statement said.
Family Frontiers also noted that one of the proposed revisions to Article 15(1) for foreign wives introduces a requirement for non-citizen wives of Malaysian men to demonstrate proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia as a condition for obtaining citizenship.
"While it was revealed that a new module for the language proficiency test has been developed by the National Registration Department and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), it is vital that it is made publicly accessible and streamlined," it said.
Family Frontiers said the government must also engage with relevant stakeholders, including civil society organisations working with these communities, to ensure the module is inclusive of all, particularly spouses from non-Malay speaking families.