Malaysia - March 2024

Malaysia’s parliament is set to consider contentious constitutional amendments that will change how citizenship is conferred in June. A wave of criticism from opposition and government lawmakers and civil society led the bill’s backers to abandon plans to hold the vote in March. The amendments would require abandoned children to apply for citizenship, revoke the automatic granting of citizenship to children of permanent residents, revoke the citizenship of naturalized wives of Malaysian men if the marriage ends within two years of citizenship acquisition, and more. An amendment that allows the children of Malaysian women born abroad to automatically receive citizenship, however, received widespread support. The amendments’ many critics argue it will drastically increase the number of stateless people in Malaysia. Stateless people are denied access to healthcare and education in the country and also struggle to obtain employment.

Sources: Straits Times, Malaysian Bar Association, Free Malaysia Today, The Star