“This Is An Exciting Day”: NRD Finally Processes Citizenship Of M’sian Moms’ Overseas-Born Children

By Quinny Tan  •  29 Dec 2021 in News

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The National Registration Department will facilitate the processing of citizenship documents for three Malaysian mothers’ overseas-born children within three months following the recent Court of Appeal decision.

A week ago, the appellate court denied Putrajaya’s stay of execution application against a high court decision that confirmed Malaysian mothers’ equal rights to automatically confer citizenship to their overseas-born children.

The department will then issue citizenship confirmation certificates to the children, which can be used to apply for Malaysian identification cards.

Family Frontiers, the organisation representing the affected mothers, said in a statement that in line with the high court judgment, mothers in similar situations can head to the nearest NRD office to apply for MyKad/MyKid on behalf of their children.

It added that NRD told them that its officers, Malaysian embassies, and high commissions will be given instructions to facilitate citizenship applications.

Suri Kempe, the president of rights group Family Frontiers, said the department facilitated the process to obtain their citizenship certificates, which would be issued within three months.

“This is an exciting day. Today’s trip to JPN confirmed that Malaysian women have the equal right to confer citizenship to their children,” she said.

“The mothers and their children went in, and JPN officers swiftly and efficiently facilitated the process to obtain their citizenship. The children will finally be recognised as Malaysians and the mothers can use the citizenship confirmation certificate to get their MyKad.”

Suri said other mothers could seek assistance from the nearest JPN office. “JPN has told us it will be issuing (the related) SOPs to its other offices in the country,” she said.

One of the mothers, Myra, said she and the others were happy with the development.

“Finally, Malaysian mothers can confer citizenship the same way Malaysian fathers do,” she said. “We no longer have to go through the tedious process of applying for student visas and other such documents.”