PETALING JAYA: The High Court’s decision on the automatic granting of citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian mothers and foreign fathers is a welcome one, says Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun.

       The Women, Family and Community Development Minister said she welcomes the decision by the High Court that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers and foreign fathers must be automatically conferred citizenship.

       “The decision sheds new light on the aspirations of women nationally, in which the automatic granting of citizenship would be able to reflect the government’s capabilities, which are in fact to create equality for women, especially those who are called mothers,” she said in a Facebook post Saturday (Sept 11).

       Rina added that the equality will also further highlight the development of women in various aspects that can be translated into beneficial efforts towards invigorating the spirit of the Malaysian Family.

       On Thursday (Sept 9), in a landmark ruling, the High Court ruled that Malaysian mothers with a foreign spouse can now automatically pass on their citizenship to their children born outside Malaysia.

       The Court ruled that Article 4(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution together with the Second Schedule, Part II, Section 1(b), pertaining to citizenship rights, must be read in harmony with Article 8(2), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender.

       High Court judge Akhtar Tahir ruled the word "father" must therefore be read to include mothers, and that their children are entitled to citizenship by operation of law.