PUTRAJAYA, March 29 – Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail clarified that the proposed amendments to citizenship laws aim to prevent children born to permanent resident (PR) parents with other nationalities from automatically acquiring Malaysian citizenship, ensuring that stateless indigenous individuals without any other citizenship are not affected. Saifuddin highlighted the amendment’s focus on cases where individuals possess only Malaysian PR status.
Assuring that existing laws would apply post-amendment if individuals can prove their sole Malaysian PR status. The term “Orang Asli” refers to the indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, while “Orang Asal” refers to the natives of Sabah and Sarawak. The proposed changes have drawn criticism from civil society organizations, including the Malaysian Citizenship Rights Alliance (MCRA), who fear exacerbating statelessness issues, particularly among indigenous communities.
