Malaysia drops controversial citizenship plan after backlash: ‘abhorrent and regressive’

The widespread backlash against the Home Ministry’s proposal points to the growing disillusionment toward Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government. Anwar rose to power in 2022 promising institutional reforms, but his approval rating has dipped amid a moderating economy and attempts to appeal to conservative voters.

Saifuddin had previously warned that Malaysia’s existing citizenship laws were open to abuse from the 3.5 million foreigners living in the country. He told parliament on March 11 there were incidents of foreigners refusing to pay hospital fees after giving birth and abandoning their babies, knowing that they would be granted automatic citizenship.

The KL Tower in Kuala Lumpur. The widespread backlash against the Home Ministry’s proposal points to the growing disillusionment toward Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government. Photo: Bloomberg

That reasoning did not go down well with critics. Malaysia’s Human Rights Commissioner Ragunath Kesavan last week said that the planned amendments were “abhorrent and regressive” and the government had not shown any justification for it during their engagements.

Other proposed amendments to Malaysia’s citizenship law, such as allowing automatic citizenship to be granted to children born abroad to Malaysian mothers – a right that already exists for Malaysian fathers – has received the cabinet’s greenlight, Saifuddin said on Friday. He added that he would hold an engagement session with backbenchers on Monday regarding the matter.

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Малайзия Политика