Adoption Bill seeks to lower age limit under law from 21 to 18
THE government is proposing to amend the Adoption Act 1952 to change the legal definition of a “child” from a person below 21 to one below 18. The Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2026 was tabled for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat today. Deputy Home ...
The Malaysian government is planning to modify the Adoption Act 1952 to lower the age requirement for adoption from 21 to 18 years old. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah announced that the Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2026 will undergo its second and third readings during the ongoing parliamentary session. The proposed amendment to Section 2 of the Adoption Act 1952 aims to bring the definition of a "child" in line with the age limit for registering citizenship under the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2025 and the voting age under the Federal Constitution.
Additionally, the change seeks to align with the definition of a child under the Child Act 2001 and the age of majority as per the Age of Majority Act 1971. The Bill was initially presented for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat today.
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