Saifuddin says ready to meet with groups against proposed citizenship amendments

PUTRAJAYA: After much protest by non-governmental organisations over the proposed constitutional amendments on citizenship, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail reiterates that he is ready to meet with the groups to get their views.

The Home Minister said he had also previously engaged with the groups, citing quarters such as the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).

“They have their reservations and I am ready to engage.

“I am open to meeting with them and there is no issue.

“Through engagements, I can listen to them and I appeal that they listen to me as well,” he told a press conference here on Tuesday (March 19).

In the context of foundlings, which groups say will suffer statelessness if the proposed amendments come into place, Saifuddin said he also wanted the groups to listen to the ministry’s perspective.

He said foundlings also did not lose their opportunity to become Malaysian citizens, if the proposed amendments came into place.

“Even now, foundlings who have exceeded a certain age are processed under Article 15A and there’s a large number of their applications processed,” he said.

When asked if the proposed amendments would be tabled soon, Saifuddin Nasution said it would be “as soon as possible”.

He added that it depends on how much longer engagements would go on.

“As soon as possible. Once engagements complete, then I will take further steps,” he said.

This comes after various civil society groups made repeated calls to decouple the proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution on citizenship.

On one side, they said the government should proceed with the proposed amendments allowing children born abroad to Malaysian mothers to obtain citizenship.

However, they said “regressive” proposed amendments should be dropped.

However, other proposed amendments include removing Sections 1(e) and 2(3) of the Second Schedule, Part II; removing the right of foundlings, including abandoned children to citizenship by operation of law under Section 19B of the Second Schedule in Part III; and removing the words “permanently resident” in Section 1(a) of the Second Schedule in Part II.