KUCHING: Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS) has expressed its concern on the other regressive amendments that remained on the citizenship law under the Federal Constitution.
Though SWWS welcomes the federal government’s decision to withdraw two of the proposed changes to the Constitution, which would have stopped the automatic right to citizenship of foundlings, it stated that if the other regressive amendments are passed, many more children will find their life chances blocked as they will join the long waiting lists for their applications for statelessness to be considered.
“A process which is complicated, non-transparent and so notoriously long; children have become adults before their application has been decided.
“It is anticipated this change will particularly affect children born to natives in Sarawak and Sabah, as well as some Orang Asli in the Peninsular, whose parents, where given a red identification card rather than a blue due to them, for a variety of reasons, not being able to provide the required details of their birth to be given citizenship.
“If the changes go through, these children will now have difficulty receiving healthcare, attending school and, when of age, employment.”
Having said that, SWWS called on all Sarawak MPs to request a decoupling of all three remaining regressive amendments to allow more time for research and consideration and only pass the amendment that gives Malaysian mothers married to foreigners and giving birth overseas the same right as Malaysian men.
It stressed that this was the issue that required a change to the constitution to ensure gender equality was not compromised.
“The other amendments have all been add-ons whose adverse impacts have not been fully considered.
“Let Sarawak lead the way and, like we have with the Central Database Hub (PADU), not rush into making changes before all angles and implications have been carefully considered.”
