KUCHING: The Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS) is calling on the government to withdraw its appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers are entitled to citizenship.

       Describing the decision to appeal as "heartbreaking and baffling", SWWS said these children's future would be affected, including their access to education and health, if the government did not accept the court ruling.

       "The public needs to know on what grounds the government thinks Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, which gives women protection against such blatant gender discrimination, can be ignored.

       "The court held that the Constitution should be read in harmony to end such discrimination," SWWS said in a statement on Tuesday (Sept 14).

       It was reported on Monday (Sept 13) that the government had appealed the High Court ruling on Sept 9 which gave Malaysian women the same right as Malaysian men to confer automatic citizenship on their overseas-born children.

       SWWS called on the Attorney General's Chambers and Home Minister to explain why they were appealing the court decision and whether they intended to take it all the way to the Federal Court.

       "If so, time and money will be spent while children wait and suffer," it said, adding that it would be wise for the government to consider its decision and withdraw the appeal promptly.

       SWWS also noted that Malaysia was a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and its progress was in the process of being reviewed.

       "It is hard to see how the government will defend their decision (to appeal) as being in the best interests of children during the review," it said.