MALAYSIAN mothers can now apply and obtain citizenship for their overseas-born children from any National Registration Department (NRD) office, Family Frontiers said today.

Three mothers who had gone today to the JPN headquarters in Putrajaya said the process was “swift” and “efficient”, the non-governmental organisation wrote in a statement.

“NRD accepted the citizenship forms under Article 14(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution and the citizenship certificate will be issued within three months to the overseas-born children of the impacted mothers,” the group said.

With the certificate, children can then obtain their identification cards and be officially recognised as Malaysian citizens.

It added that the NRD said it had issued instructions to all its other offices in the country, as well as Malaysian embassies and high commissions, to facilitate Malaysian mothers in obtaining their overseas-born children’s citizenship-related documents.

Family Frontiers president Suriani Kempe said today’s trip to NRD had “breathed life” into the High Court’s decision and confirmed that Malaysian mothers have rights equal to those of Malaysian fathers to confer citizenship to their overseas-born children.

Family Frontiers had represented six Malaysian mothers on the citizenship issue and, on September 9, won the case against the government, the NRD director-general and the home minister.

The Court of Appeal had also dismissed the government’s application to stay the High Court judgment on December 22.

The three mothers who visited the NRD office today were part of the lawsuit.

One of the mothers, Adlyn Adam Teoh, expressed relief that the High Court’s order was followed.

Currently, Family Frontiers is waiting for the government’s appeal to be heard at the Court of Appeal in March next year.

On September 14, the government, the NRD director-general and the home minister had filed an appeal against the September 9 decision.

“We thank JPN for efficiently facilitating the process, but maintain our call for the government to do the right thing – withdraw the appeal.

“To continue with the appeal makes no logical, moral or economic sense, and is devoid of compassion and blind to the lived realities of Malaysian women and their children,” Family Frontiers said. – December 29, 2021.