Press Statement
Every member of the federal cabinet will be responsible for the Herod-like act of cruelty to innocent children caused by the citizenship amendment bill
10 March 2024
We refer to news reports that the Cabinet has given the ‘green light’ for the controversial amendments to the Federal Constitution regarding citizenship to be tabled in Dewan Rakyat.
The amendments, which will remove crucial safeguards against statelessness such as section 1(e) of Part II of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution, the proviso that ensures anyone who is stateless will acquire Malaysian citizenship, and section 19B of Part III of the Second Schedule, which grants citizenship to abandoned children operation of law, will destroy the lives of thousands of currently stateless children as well as future generations. No reasonable justification has been given until now by the Madani government for this devastating act of inhumanity. Despite widespread protests, like modern-day Herods, the government insist upon carrying out these amendments despite the consequence to the innocents.
Children, denied citizenship, will lose access to education, healthcare and future employment. Their fates will be sealed the moment parliament, where the government possesses two thirds majority, passes the amendment bill.
Yesterday in his statement, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who is the supposed champion of reform, deliberately evaded the subject of the removal of safeguards for the stateless. He appeared to mislead the public by acting as if the amendments are just to resolve the problem of citizenship for children born to Malaysian mothers overseas.
The PM even said that any MP who does not support the amendments doesn’t deserve to be an MP. Considering the impact upon innocent children and foundlings, it is in fact the other way around.
It is important to keep in mind that it is the fault of the government that so many are stateless in Malaysia. Their continued existence is due to the failings of successive Home Ministers and the National Registration Department to execute their duties as per the Constitution and recognise the citizenship of stateless individuals. They are by right Malaysian, and the amendments that the cabinet is bulldozing through is an amendment that deprives Malaysians of their constitutionally guaranteed right to citizenship.
The fact that the proposed amendments emanate from a government led by PH is a betrayal of promises and ideals. When in opposition, Anwar Ibrahim on 12 September 2017 called out the lack of action by the then government of the day on resolving statelessness as “appalling” and “shameful”. In their 2018 political manifesto, PH recognised the plight of the stateless and promised to address the issue by reducing the bureaucratic red tape involved in registering children and they promised to solve the problem of stateless Indians within 100 days of taking power. On 14 July 2022, Hannah Yeoh, now part of the cabinet as the Minister of Youth and Sports, slammed the then Home Minister and urged the government to grant citizenship to adopted children.
When in opposition, PH leaders championed the stateless to portray themselves as progressive.This stance particularly appealed to non-Malay voters, which was a key target group for PH. Now in power, they appear to have turned their backs upon stateless Malaysians.
It is not too late to withdraw the amendments.
If it proceeds, every single member of the cabinet will be guilty and responsible for these cruel amendments. Every single member of the cabinet will surely be condemned by history.
Issued by:
Zaid Malek
Director
Lawyers for Liberty