The Court of Appeal today dismissed the government’s application to stay a lower court ruling that Malaysian mothers have the right to confer citizenship to overseas-born children.

A three-person bench chaired by Kamaludin Md Said unanimously denied the stay bid pending disposal of the government’s appeal to overturn a related Kuala Lumpur High Court ruling.

The government is appealing against the High Court decision on Sept 9, which declared that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers and foreign fathers...