“Divulge contents of Citizenship Amendment Bill, rakyat have right to info,” govt told

Focus Malaysia:

“Divulge contents of Citizenship Amendment Bill, rakyat have right to info,” govt told





WANITA MCA has called for the government should provide the public with the exact contents of the proposed amendments and status of the Bill, noting that only by revising the draft recommendations will the public be able to gauge and understand its progress.

According to Wanita MCA national chairperson Wong You Fong, it is hoped that the Citizenship Amendment Bill – which proposes to allow citizenship conferment by Malaysian mothers their infants born overseas – will be successfully approved by the Cabinet and passed in the Dewan Rakyat.

“We also have confidence that the Home Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) are absolutely capable of proposing amendments which are consistent with national conditions, are reasonable, just and feasible,” Wong said in a statement on Monday (Feb 26).

Wong recalled that Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had previously mentioned that he will submit a draft proposal on the Citizenship Amendment Bill to Cabinet on March 8.

“Unfortunately to date, public viewing of the actual proposed amendments has yet to be made available, and thus, it is impossible to evaluate the impacts that these mulled changes will bear on the related groups and persons,” Wong stated.

“Observing from various media reports on the government’s proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill, the exact contents of the Home Ministry’s proposed draft are yet to be made fully known to the public.”

Wong further noted that 92 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations, coalitions, working groups, individuals, activists and impacted persons had recently issued a joint statement urging the Cabinet to release a Green Paper and disclose the draft proposed amendments on the Bill.

“This indicates that they too are in the dark as to the contents of the draft Bill,” Wong said.

“Via a statement on July 12, 2023, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legal and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said noted that the Malaysian government hears and takes into account all views, proposals and feedback received from Malaysians and NGOs and civil society organisations, as well as the Children’s Commissioner to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) regarding the government’s eight proposed citizenship amendments.

“On the views, suggestions and feedback on the proposed changes to the Federal Constitution, Wanita MCA is pleased that the government is willing to accept public feedback. However, after half a year, no response has been forthcoming.

“The women’s wing of MCA believes that the public has the right to know. Hence, the government should provide the public with the exact contents of the proposed amendments and status of the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

“Only by revising the draft recommendations will the public be able to gauge and understand its progress.” – Feb 26, 2024