PETALING JAYA: Future federal governments will have a clearer idea on how to tackle the issue of granting citizenship for foundlings, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
While the government has dropped the proposed constitutional amendment to strip automatic citizenship for foundlings, Saifuddin said he could not rule out future administrations reviving the amendment.
“But with the growing debate (on the topic) concerning rights, humanity, and the government’s responsibility in this matter, I think whoever takes over will have clarity with regards to this matter of citizenship,” he said in an episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast.
“What is this clarity? To close the trust deficit gap and come up with clear procedures (to grant citizenship to foundlings). There has to be an element of transparency. I think that is what society is demanding for,” he said.
The home ministry recently decided to drop proposed amendments to two sections of the Federal Constitution which would have affected citizenship for foundlings, stateless children and vulnerable people.
The provisions grant foundlings automatic citizenship by operation of law with the benefit of doubt about the date and place of their birth, as the status of their biological parents is unknown and unable to be proven.
Another provision grants similar protection under the operation of law to vulnerable and affected people, such as children born out of wedlock, adopted and abandoned stateless children, and indigenous communities.
A storm of criticism arose over the proposed amendments, with politicians and civil society groups describing the proposals as regressive and illogical.
Among those who criticised the amendments were Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh of DAP and Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim of PKR.
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NGOs also warned that the amendments to the constitution could exacerbate the issue of statelessness or place stateless individuals in precarious situations.
