KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Stateless persons in Malaysia can legally marry even without a Malaysian identity card (MyKad), according to a recent groundbreaking High Court decision. This landmark ruling ensures that Malaysian authorities can register marriages of stateless individuals, thereby preventing their children from inheriting statelessness.
In a case involving a Perak family, the court ruled in favor of Kamaladevi Kanniappan and her descendants, declaring them Malaysians. The High Court emphasized that Malaysia’s marriage laws do not require an IC for registration, and the NRD’s refusal to register such marriages had perpetuated a cycle of generational statelessness. This decision could significantly impact the lives of many stateless individuals in Malaysia, offering them a path to citizenship and a better life.
