Government Must Not Table Regressive Amendments to Citizenship Laws

Civil Society organisations are once again calling on the government to halt the proposed “regressive” alterations to the nation’s citizenship laws. While they welcome some progressive aspects of the proposed amendments – something they’ve been fighting for, for decades – they’re pushing back against the regressive amendments that would only further worsen the issue of statelessness in this country.

The government has responded saying that they’re going to refer the proposed changes to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the council of rulers. And in response to that, a coalition of NGOs has said that they will submit a memorandum of objection to the YDPA and cabinet.

On the 7th of November, as reported by Malaysiakini, a spokesperson for the coalition Cikgu Siti Rahayu Baharin, Co-Founder, Buku Jalanan Chow Kit said the memorandum will be sent as soon as possible.

We speak to Cikgu Siti Rahayu.

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Reggie Lee