ALLOW me to first congratulate Nancy Syukri on her appointment as women, family and community development minister in the new unity cabinet headed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

She surely has her work cut out for her, as expectations run high; given the circumstances. Upholding human rights is about protecting the rights of all, without a single shred of discrimination. As our nation welcomes a more mature brand of democracy, injustice and bigotry must be eradicated for good.

The issue of citizenship for children born overseas to Malaysian mothers has been long-standing one, and efforts to resolve this matter has not been so forthcoming. During the campaign period for the general election, the then home minister utilised the bill on citizenship for children born overseas as campaign fodder, when in fact he had the power to make things right while he was in government, especially since Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said filed a motion in September for a private member’s bill for a constitutional amendment.

Biased nationality laws affect 24 countries and Malaysia is one of them – we share the same ranks as Somalia and Saudi Arabia. In general, it seems as if a Malaysian mother’s worth is far less than that of a Malaysian father where automatic citizenship is conferred to the child even if he or she is born overseas. In this day and age, such outdated laws must be amended to represent the sound society we aspire to become.

But how can we break a system that is seemingly clouded by the dominant ideology of patriarchy?

Firstly, more work needs to be done in creating awareness and visibility to highlight the personal narratives of those affected – from mother to child and more so the psychological anguish that can destroy families. The severity of the issue where systemic discrimination has stripped away basic human rights by denying these children the right to formal education and healthcare afforded to others of their own age cannot be ignored. 

Secondly, internal meetings and consultation sessions with representatives from the Home Ministry, Foreign Ministry, National Registration Department and civil society organisations such as Family Frontiers should be conducted in order to build a mutual understanding, address key concerns and establish implementation procedures. Furthermore, these sessions must not be one-off but a series of frequent meetings so all parties involved will be updated. 

Upon consultation, there must be a proposed timeline for processing existing cases and new applications to prevent prolonging the agony of uncertainty and anxiety among affected families. Communication and transparency must also be continuously guaranteed.

Nationality laws tend to treat women differently because gender discrimination has seeped into culture and traditional gender roles, and Malaysians must unite to put an end to this. In this age of modernity and progress, women have achieved so much and many nations have recognised and celebrated our contributions. It just makes perfect sense for Malaysia to do the same. – December 9, 2022.

* Syerleena Abdul Rashid is Bukit Bendera MP and Seri Delima assemblyman.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.