In Malaysia, NGO coalition raises concern that proposed citizenship constitutional amendments could disenfranchise some groups

Proposed constitutional amendments on citizenship could disenfranchise some, says a group of non-governmental organisations. In a letter urging the Cabinet to put on hold the draft Citizenship Amendment Bill, the Malaysian Citizenship Rights Alliance (MCRA) expressed reservations about the proposed revisions to citizenship laws being reviewed. The letter, endorsed by 62 non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations, as well as three coalitions and 30 renowned individuals, said the proposed changes, in their current form, deviate from the core principles of justice, equality and respect for human dignity that are fundamental to our country's ethos and advancement. "While one of the proposed amendments aims to grant citizenship to children born abroad to Malaysian mothers – and should be lauded – five other proposed amendments, in their current form, threaten to introduce regressive measures that could disenfranchise certain segments of our population. "Foundlings, abandoned children, and the children of stateless Malaysian permanent residents would lose their right to citizenship. "The constitutional protection against statelessness would also be removed, especially for elderly stateless persons, children born pre-marriage, adopted stateless children and other vulnerable individuals. "Additionally, foreign spouses of Malaysian men are at risk of statelessness if their marriage ends within two years of acquiring Malaysian citizenship. "Lastly, stateless children would have shorter timeframes to apply for citizenship through the citizenship-by-registration provision, exacerbating their challenges," read the letter. [...] The letter then appealed that the government take immediate action to halt these five amendments.
Read the full article here: The Star