Malaysia drops controversial citizenship plan after backlash: ‘abhorrent and regressive’

The cabinet rejected a proposal to amend the constitution that would result in such children having to apply for citizenship

Widespread backlash against the proposal points to the growing disillusionment toward Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government

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A man displays bananas outside his shop with the Malaysia’s iconic Petronas Twin Tower in the background in Kuala Lumpur. The Home Ministry had initially planned to present a bill on the matter to parliament once it gained the cabinet’s approval. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:38pm, 22 Mar 2024

Malaysia abandoned its plan to do away with automatic citizenship for foundlings and abandoned children, following weeks of public criticism against the government.

The Malaysian cabinet rejected a proposal to amend the constitution that would result in such children having to apply for citizenship, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution said at a briefing on Friday. The Home Ministry had initially planned to present a bill on the matter to parliament once it gained the cabinet’s approval.

The decision was made amid plans by civil society groups such as Undi18 to protest the proposal outside parliament on Monday.

“These amendments transcend partisan politics as it directly affects Malaysian stateless children and their future,” Undi18 said ahead of Saifuddin’s briefing. It would have been the second street protest against the government in a month.

The widespread backlash against the Home Ministry’s proposal points to the growing disillusionment toward Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government. Anwar rose to power in 2022 promising institutional reforms, but his approval rating has dipped amid a moderating economy and attempts to appeal to conservative voters.

Saifuddin had previously warned that Malaysia’s existing citizenship laws were open to abuse from the 3.5 million foreigners living in the country. He told parliament on March 11 there were incidents of foreigners refusing to pay hospital fees after giving birth and abandoning their babies, knowing that they would be granted automatic citizenship.

The KL Tower in Kuala Lumpur. The widespread backlash against the Home Ministry’s proposal points to the growing disillusionment toward Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government. Photo: Bloomberg

That reasoning did not go down well with critics. Malaysia’s Human Rights Commissioner Ragunath Kesavan last week said that the planned amendments were “abhorrent and regressive” and the government had not shown any justification for it during their engagements.