Home minister: Citizenship amendment for children born overseas to Malaysian mothers set to take effect mid-2026

Home minister: Citizenship amendment for children born overseas to Malaysian mothers set to take effect mid-2026

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 8 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the constitutional amendment allowing children born overseas to Malaysian mothers to automatically obtain Malaysian citizenship is expected to come into force by June or July 2026.

He said the amendment to the Federal Constitution, which was approved by Parliament last year, requires several preparatory steps before it can be implemented.

“These amendments have been completed, vetted and approved by the Attorney General’s Chambers. We are now finalising the relevant documents and application forms, informing Malaysian missions worldwide, and seeking royal assent for gazettement.

“If all milestones proceed as planned, children born overseas to Malaysian mothers will automatically be recognised as Malaysian citizens under the law from around June or July,” he told reporters at a press conference after his New Year address here today.

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He said these include amendments to the Citizenship Regulations 1964 in both Malay and English.

Alongside the constitutional amendment, he added the government has continued to process citizenship applications under Articles 15A, 30A and 19A of the Federal Constitution.

He also said that the reform has been described as a significant achievement of the Madani Government, addressing a long-standing issue faced by Malaysian mothers for decades and reflecting principles of compassion and justice.

“In 2025, a commitment was made in Parliament to decide on 20,000 citizenship applications. As of yesterday, decisions have been made on 20,032 applications, exceeding the target.

“The backlog of nearly 50,000 applications inherited at the start of the term has now been reduced to fewer than 4,000,” he said.

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The remaining long pending cases, including applications outstanding for five, ten or even fifteen years, are expected to be resolved by the first quarter of this year.

This, he said, is expected to pave the way for a new phase of citizenship administration once the constitutional amendment comes into effect.