Wujud SOP mohon warganegara anak dewasa, KDN diberitahu

Malaysian Opposition politician Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh) has urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (Dewan Rakyat) to provide clear SOPs for the naturalization application process for adult children born outside Malaysia by Malaysian citizen mothers. The lack of specific guidelines under Article 19 of the Constitution has caused numerous structural and administrative challenges for elderly women who want to return to Malaysia with their grown children who are the primary caregivers.

Most of these elderly women, aged between 60 to 80 years, now only wish to return to Malaysia with their adult children, who are the primary caregivers. Kok is asking DPN to take proactive steps to help Malaysian-born mothers with adult children manage naturalization applications through the existing naturalization stream.

During a previous parliamentary session, the Deputy Home Minister responded positively, stating that adult children born outside Malaysia and ineligible for naturalization under Article 15(2) can apply through the naturalization process under Article 19. However, affected mothers still face difficulties in managing their children's applications due to the absence of SOPs.

Kok therefore urges the DPN to take proactive steps to assist such adult children by utilizing the existing naturalization stream. Additionally, she calls for the government to announce the date of the 2025 constitutional amendment (RUU) related to naturalization for children born outside Malaysia by Malaysian citizen mothers. While the RUU was passed by both houses of Parliament and approved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 7th March 2025 and published on 20th March 2025, the date of its implementation is still pending.

Kok noted that this uncertainty raises concerns among Malaysian women residing outside the country, especially those who are in their third trimester of pregnancy.