Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has slammed Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for defending an immigration officer who scolded a woman and her daughter in Johor for not being able to speak Bahasa Malaysia.

In a statement, its director Zaid Malek said there is no requirement for a Malaysian citizen routinely applying for a passport to show proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia.

"To impose such a condition is unlawful, high-handed and...