COMMENT | The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) together with 37 other undersigned civil society organisations express grave concern at home deputy minister Ismail Mohamed Said’s statement regarding the inability of Malaysian women to confer nationality onto their overseas-born child.

In his explanation, the minister cited the issue of dual-citizenship, which he linked to national security and sovereignty.

The ‘dual citizenship’ narrative in relation to Malaysian mothers giving birth overseas is flawed and biased. Contrary to the minister’s statement that, in other countries, most children follow their fathers’ citizenship, more than 150 countries worldwide allow women – on an equal basis to men – to confer citizenship on their children.

Malaysia is currently one of only ...