Malaysian mums kept waiting for children’s citizenship by JPN

PUTRAJAYA:

A group of Malaysian mothers were left dejected after the national registration department (JPN) told them they have to keep waiting for their children’s citizenship application to be approved.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled last September that children born to Malaysian mothers are entitled to automatic citizenship. Putrajaya had appealed to overturn the ruling and the outcome will be announced on June 22.

A mother who wanted to be known as Esther was among those from the Family Frontiers advocacy group who were at JPN’s headquarters here to enquire about their children’s citizenship application today.

She said she filed the application in early March, but her request to speak to the relevant officer in charge over the delay was refused. She added that she was repeatedly told that her application was “still in the process”.

She was later told that the application’s status could only be checked after six months from the application’s date.

“Two weeks ago when I was here, they told me upfront that they would accept my documents due to the court order, but that they were not going to process it,” she said.

Another mother, who only wanted to be known by her first name Rachel, said that the JPN officers’ response after the High Court order was “arbitrary and non-committal”.

Members of the Family Frontiers NGO with their children outside the national registration department’s headquarters in Putrajaya today.

“They told all the mothers the same thing, even if you come back after six months, it doesn’t mean that you will get anything,” she said.

“It’s ridiculous because based on the High Court order, our kids should already be citizens. It’s disappointing.”

She said she struggled to explain to her son why he does not have Malaysian citizenship, unlike his younger brother who was born in Malaysia.

Although he does not say anything about it, Rachel says her son often draws comics about being forced to leave Malaysia and having to leave his family behind, which she said shows the anxiety that children go through as well.

Another mother, Khairun Nisan Taslim, said that although she had a well-paying job in Portugal, she chose to return to Malaysia and raise her son here due to religious reasons.

“I believe it’s important for him to learn about Islam (but) there are limited opportunities for that in Portugal,” she said.

“But this is not about race or religion, it’s about nationality. The right to one’s nationality is for everyone.”

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Malaysian mums kept waiting for children’s citizenship by JPN

One mother claims the national registration department told her they will accept the application due to the court order, but that they were not going to process it.