Children born abroad to Malaysian mothers married to foreign men will get automatic citizenship by mid-2025, ending gender discrimination.
PUTRAJAYA: Children born abroad to Malaysian mothers married to foreign men will automatically receive Malaysian citizenship by mid-next year.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed the implementation is actively underway with new registration forms and system updates being prepared.
He said the Attorney General’s Chambers is finalising reviews of amendments to acts and regulations following Parliament’s constitutional amendment approval last year.
“The review will also involve amendments to the Nationality Regulations 1964 and the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957,” he told Bernama.
Once complete, these amendments will ensure automatic citizenship for children of Malaysian mothers married to foreign fathers born overseas.
“When this amendment takes effect, Malaysian mothers married to foreign men residing abroad can register births at embassies,” he said.
“The birth certificates issued will confirm their status as Malaysian citizens.”
Last October, the Dewan Rakyat made history by passing the Constitution Amendment Bill 2024 with a two-thirds majority.
The amendment ensures children born abroad to Malaysian mothers married to foreign men automatically acquire citizenship.
This right was previously only granted if the father was a Malaysian citizen.
Saifuddin Nasution said the amendment marks a significant step toward ensuring fairness for Malaysian women.
He emphasised this effort is part of the government’s commitment to clearing the backlog of citizenship applications.
“Out of more than 50,000 backlogged cases, only around 6,000 remain under review,” he said.
“While the remaining number is small, the impact on citizens’ lives is significant.” – Bernama
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