Suhakam's Commissioner for Children Noor Aziah Mohd Awal has rebutted Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin's arguments defending the government's move to appeal against a decision on granting automatic citizenship to children born abroad to Malaysian women married to foreign spouses.

Citing Hamzah's winding-up speech in the Dewan Rakyat last week, Noor Aziah (above) said she was saddened by the appeal and that the minister's points were "untenable" for three reasons, including that one High Court is not bound by another High Court's decision.

"The ministry said that the decision of the Suriani Kempe case...