KUCHING: The Federal Court’s decision to disqualify Democratic Action Party (DAP) Dr Ting Tiong Choon as Pujut assemblyman was lauded by Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
In his comments on the case, he said no citizens should play around with the issue of loyalty to the Agong and citizenship of Malaysia.
“As much as I sympathise with Dr Ting as he is now disbarred as an assemblyman, he should know that when he became an Australian citizen, his Malaysian citizenship automatically ended,” he told New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.
Karim said Malaysian law does not permit multiple citizenships, and as a professional (a medical doctor), Dr Ting must have been aware of it.
“Dr Ting did not inform the Malaysian government of his dual citizenship as he wanted to reap the benefits and privileges of being a citizen of both countries,” he said.
Dr Ting renounced his Australian citizenship just before he contested in the 2016 state election when he became aware it did not allow him to hold two citizenships. He did not inform the Election Returning Officer concerned of the fact.
“As for the Federal Court, which saw an unprecedented sitting of the maximum nine judges, it made all Malaysians proud with the 7-2 majority decision,” he said.
He hoped that the Malaysian government would now tidy up its laws to specifically spell out that Malaysians are prohibited from having multiple citizenships.
“Regarding Dr Ting, I presume that he renounced his Malaysian citizenship when he became an Australian,” he said.
Therefore, he said, Dr Ting must re-apply to be a Malaysian citizen and take an oath of loyalty and allegiance to Malaysia and the Agong.
“The Malaysian citizenship should not be taken for granted and automatically granted to him,” said Karim.
