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Key Highlights
Citizenship amendments spark rebellion
Vernacular school row heats up
PN to go on tour
Citizenship amendments spark rebellion
The cabinet's decision to greenlight constitutional amendments on citizenship is not going down well.
Among those objecting is the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), which expressed concern over five proposed amendments that will affect children born out of wedlock to Malaysian men, stateless children adopted by Malaysian parents, and foundlings.
Currently, foundlings - babies who are found abandoned - are given citizenship by operation of law.
However, the amendments would require any person to register foundlings within one year - which former deputy law minister Ramkarpal Singh would subject innocent babies to needless red tape and does not guarantee citizenship.
Last November, there was indication that government MPs would vote against the amendments if it was found to be regressive.
PKR's Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim has openly said he would object to amendments regarding foundlings.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has brushed off the backlash, saying foundlings would not be affected by the amendments, and that he would only respond to criticism based on "facts and figures".
HIGHLIGHTS
Vernacular school row heats up
The latest row over vernacular schools is heating up.
Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh called on the government to introduce single-stream schools and conduct a thorough review of vernacular schools.
He argued that different school systems led to disunity among the races.
Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy retorted that schools were not the problem, but politicians.
Malacca DAP Youth, meanwhile, said parents’ freedom to choose where to school their children must be upheld.
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PN to go on tour
Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour may have skipped Malaysia, but those politically inclined will have a different tour coming their way after Ramadan.
Perikatan Nasional plans to travel the country to meet people, hear their grouses, and see what they can do to address those problems.
Coalition chief Muhyiddin Yassin claimed that Muda MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman would also join the tour.
However, Muda’s leadership denied this, adding that Syed Saddiq must abide by the party’s decision.
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