KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — Local advocacy group Malaysian Mothers Network for Equal Citizenship wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today, in which it urged him to expedite the amendment of the Federal Constitution to allow children born abroad to Malaysian mothers to the right to citizenship.
The network also called for a meeting with Anwar to share their experience so the prime minister and his administration would better understand their plight.
“It is essential to remember that behind every application is a child whose future and well-being depend on Malaysian citizenship. We are more than just a pile of documents on the ministry’s desk, and we are more than just numbers to achieve in a KPI. Behind every application is a child whose life is on hold,” it said, referring to key performance indicators.
“The mothers in our network would be most grateful for an opportunity to meet with you and share our lived realities. This would be an opportunity to have your ear on the ground and for all involved to have a deeper understanding of the issue.”
They highlighted how the Anwar administration has the power and duty to protect and care for the well-being of its citizens which also include Malaysian women and their children.
“Granting Malaysian women equal citizenship rights for their overseas-born children is putting the concept of ‘Ihsan’ into action, which will in turn give true meaning to ‘Malaysia Madani’.
“Please do not delay and deny us any longer. Embrace our children into the fold as citizens and let them live wholly as Malaysians, because their mothers are Malaysians,” it said.
Malaysia Madani is the slogan unveiled by Anwar, which serves as a guide for the government's policy directions. Ihsan stands for care and compassion.
The Cabinet had agreed to amend the Federal Constitution to enable children born abroad to Malaysian mothers to gain automatic Malaysian citizenship in February.
However, the group expressed disappointment in the delay of the tabling of the amendment in Parliament until September on the grounds that the Committee requires six months to conduct a study on citizenship.
“We concur that issues of national importance require careful consideration, but this gender-unequal citizenship issue is a long-standing one, and one that has been raised and persistently made known to relevant government agencies from as early as 2018.
“These delays directly impact us ... Ours is not a cry of impatience, but a cry of desperation,” it said, as it listed several cases that require urgent action.
