Don’t pass the buck to the public, Hamzah told on citizenship issues

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today hit out at Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin over his recent remarks on citizenship, saying it is the duty of the government to ensure that every qualified person is registered as a Malaysian.

Hamzah had said on July 15 that there were still some in the country who did not understand the importance of registering their marriage in order to ensure that their children would be given citizenship.

LFL however said it was unlawful to deny citizenship to any child born to at least one parent who is a Malaysian simply because the marriage was not registered.

In a statement, LFL director Zaid Malek described Hamzah’s comments as “an ignorant, callous and inhumane attempt” to “shift the burden of ensuring that those entitled get their citizenship to the public”.

“For every child who is entitled to citizenship but remains stateless, the fault lies with the home ministry, not the parents,” he said.

“It is the duty of the government to ensure that every qualified person is registered as a citizen and given the necessary identification papers. This is the reason we pay taxes and the home ministry is given such massive resources nationwide.”

He added that Article 14 of the constitution guarantees citizenship for those who meet the criteria under Part II of the Second Schedule. 

“It is a right, not a privilege to be ‘awarded’ at the discretion of the government as claimed by Hamzah,” he said. 

Describing the issues surrounding marriage registrations as “an administrative problem at most”, Zaid said these  should never be made a reason to deprive children of citizenship. 

“Instead of blaming the public, the home minister should ensure that the registration of marriages is eased, and that any issues that arise be resolved swiftly. 

“Proper guidelines should be in place so that the correct information can be accessed by members of the public,” he said.

“We urge the home minister to look at the SOPs and guidelines at the National Registration Department and ensure that they comply with the constitution and abide by the latest court decisions on issues of citizenship, and not just irresponsibly pass the buck to the public.”