Proposed citizenship law amendments will be tabled in Parliament this month, says PM Anwar

PETALING JAYA: The government will table the proposed amendments to Article 14 (1) (b) of the Federal Constitution relating to the citizenship of children born overseas in Parliament this month, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Prime Minister said it was to amend the word “father” to “parents” or “mother or father” after the draft was presented to the Conference of Rulers.

“I am happy to announce that the term ‘father’ in the Federal Constitution in terms of the right of children to become a citizen will be replaced by ‘parents’ or ‘mother or father’.

“After so long since this matter being raised, the Madani government under the Minister (of Women, Family and Community Development) Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, we were able to make these very significant amendments,” he said at the 2024 International Women’s Day celebration on Friday (March 8) night.

The Prime Minister also believed the amendments would receive unanimous support from members of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat.

In the meantime, Anwar said he had instructed Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain to give immediate attention to cases related to sexual harassment.

He said the existing Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) and the Anti-Sexual Harassment Tribunal are insufficient if enforcement is not carried out effectively.

“It’s a shame, if we, as a country, talk about values and morals, but there are still painful news reports that knock on our hearts.

He said that children were being sent to hostels (boarding schools) and maahad tahfiz with high hopes of nurturing them with good morals.

“Yet there are mistreatments and these must be stopped with all the strength of the national leadership,” he said.

Also present were the Prime Minister’s wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Nancy and her deputy Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad and the Cabinet ministers.- Bernama