YOURSAY | ‘Harapan leaders must leverage MOU to defend our women.’

Mothers appalled govt appealing ruling despite backing by 3 ministers

FairMalaysian: Is this what the government thinks and wants, or is it what the people think and want?

It is no point going after attorney-general Idrus Harun. It is the government that has to come up with a clear statement, what its position is, and on what grounds it is appealing the High Court decision (which ruled that the constitutional provision granting automatic citizenship to overseas-born children if the father is Malaysian but not if the mother is Malaysian is discriminatory).

We, the ordinary people, are left wondering why Malaysian women are being treated as equals and belittled in such a demeaning manner.

If it is in the Federal Constitution, then change/amend it. It has caused enough problems and damage to this country.

A number of ministers, and the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), have come out in support of the High Court's decision. Why, in this country, do these types of journeys have to be so painful and difficult?

Satu Malaysia was a farce. It now looks like this "Keluarga Malaysia" is a laughing farce. Where is the benevolence? What a male chauvinistic government you are!

Why is it that women are treated differently from men? As a male, I feel ashamed to face my mother, my wife, my daughter, and my friends because I always see them as equals.

Pakatan Harapan has to repudiate its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the government if it cannot make this government see this open discrimination.

What good would it be for Harapan to exist if it can't even defend our women who marry foreigners? Why a different law for Malaysian men?

Harapan leaders have to make a firm stand or else I am not going to vote for them. Pull out of the MOU if this is what it would take.

AdeK: Clearly, this government is made up of men who have been there for ages. Men who claimed that if Malaysian mothers were granted equal rights, they would run away with foreign workers.

It speaks volumes of the kind of men they are, and even the most downtrodden people in our society would make better fathers and husbands than them.

However, not every man of their generation is an insecure, racist, sexist, power-hungry control freak.

And each new generation has, one hopes, a greater number of enlightened men who will earn, rather than force, the respect of his partner.

MarioT: A male-dominated society, coupled with a government run by male chauvinists, always wants to show its authority and superiority.

A fair and just court decision is being challenged just to prove that the fairer sex is subservient to the male, who has and will always be in charge.

There is also the religious influence for such behaviour, contradictory to a civilised society.

Thank you, your honour Judge Akhtar Tahir, for this landmark decision.

Anonymous_47029368: I believe interpretations of our Federal Constitution, especially those that have far-reaching consequences, would need to be resolved at the Federal Court.

This is to prevent subsequent chaos if, later, some party challenges this High Court ruling at the Federal Court.

The attorney-general is right to thus make the appeal now. This is a legal process. Ministers should keep quiet and let this legal process proceed. Remember, the government has pledged not to interfere in matters involving the judiciary.

FairMalaysian: @Anonymous_47029368, if the Federal Court is needed to settle such disputes, then why do we need a Parliament and 222 elected representatives?

The Federal Court is not the place. The government should take the lead.

If it can come up with a statement on Afghanistan so quickly, then why can't the government resolve this problem? There is no will and, worse, there is no responsibility.

My2cen: By appealing the High Court’s decision, it reeks of selective persecution by the government against certain Malaysian women and their children.

One Syrian-born Ragad Waleed Alkurdi married a very rich old man in Sarawak and was not only granted full citizenship soon after their marriage but was also recognised as a Melanau and can own ancestral land in Sarawak.

However, children born to Malaysian women are not being given the rights they deserve.

Apa Nama: "Family Frontiers, the group that successfully mounted a constitutional challenge against unequal treatment of women in the granting of citizenship to their overseas-born children, said it is appalled by the government's decision to appeal against their victory."

Family Frontiers, there is nothing to be appalled here. It is all expected as far as the home minister and his deputy is concerned. I commented before that this appeal was coming.

Family Frontiers, you need to break the glass ceiling and it is not easy but possible. Fight on. We have a long way to go.

Let us fight together and make sure our rights are enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

The road ahead will be not that easy, Family Frontiers. But believe me, you have all my support. We will win, ultimately.

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