The Family Frontiers group said it filed an application for leave to appeal to the Federal Court yesterday.

The group said that since the appeal court ruling they had met government officials in hopes of resolving the matter through a constitutional amendment.

Family Frontiers president Suriani Kempe said law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had said he would request for a meeting with a special committee on amendments to the Federal Constitution and provide recommendations to the Cabinet and the Conference of Rulers.

However, she said, there has been little indication of a schedule or of definite action from political leaders.

“The lack of action means that struggles of affected Malaysian mothers and their overseas-born children will continue and we cannot wait indefinitely,” she said in a statement, adding that the organisation will continue to pursue justice at the Federal Court.

Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal ruled that children born overseas to Malaysian women were not entitled to automatic citizenship as the Federal Constitution only provided for citizenship through fathers.

The decision overturned a landmark High Court ruling in 2021 that the word “father” in a constitutional provision could be construed to mean “mothers” or “parents”, thereby allowing citizenship by operation of law to their children born abroad.

The government, the home minister and the director-general of the national registration department then filed an appeal against the High Court ruling.