KUALA LUMPUR:A former MP has pointed out the historical inaccuracies cited by the Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail regarding the government's intention to revoke automatic citizenship for children born to permanent residents (PRs).

In recent statements, N. Surendran, who is also the Lawyer of Liberty advisor, said Safuddin's assertion that the provision was enacted in 1963 to accommodate Singaporeans entering Malaysia after the separation of the two countries, is erroneous.

"Singapore left Malaysia in 1965, and not 1963 as implied by Saifuddin.

"The clause in question, section 1(a) of Part 2 of the 2nd Schedule of the Constitution, was established in 1963 through the Malaysia Act 1963.

"Its purpose was to prevent statelessness among the children of PRs, not to grant citizenship to the offspring of Singaporean red IC holders, as implied by Saifuddin in Parliament," he said.

Moreover, he added Saifuddin's argument that removing the PR clause would align Malaysia's policy with that of other countries like Australia is baseless.

"Saifuddin's attempt to justify this amendment by claiming that the child of a Malaysian permanent resident in Australia would also not get automatic citizenship is also completely wrong.

"In fact, under section 12 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, every child of a permanent resident is automatically a citizen," he added.

This is not the first time Surendran has called out Saifuddin for citing inaccurate data.

On March 11, he pointed out that the minister's statement about a 98 per cent approval rate for citizenship applications was not accurate.

Surendran had said that the approved 142 applications from 2014 to 2023 is "starkly contrary to the experience of activists, NGOs, and individual stateless persons who have made repeated unsuccessful applications".

Meanwhile, Surendran raised concerns that these factual and historical inaccuracies cast doubt on the government's understanding of the proposed citizenship amendments and their potential consequences.

"The only right thing for the government to do now, in the interest of the nation, is to withdraw these proposed amendments and proceed only with the change on children born to overseas mothers," he said.

On March 8, the cabinet gave the green light for the proposal over the Federal Constitution amendment involving citizenship.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/03/1029045/former-mp-criticises-saifuddin-historical-ignorance