KUALA LUMPUR: Couples should ensure that they register their marriages so that problems do not arise with regards to the citizenship of their children, according to Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman.
Citing Article 15(a) of the Federal Constitution, he said the government may in special circumstances as it thinks fit, cause any person under the age of 21 years to be registered as a citizen.
“The problem is many marriages are not registered and when our marriage is not registered, the child born has to go through the complication.
“If you are brave enough to get married, be brave to register and be brave to bear responsibilities,“ Mohd Azis (Warisan-Sepanggar) told the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was referring to marriages between local men and foreign women that remain unregistered at the time of a child’s birth.
“If the father is a foreigner and the mother is a local, whether their marriage has been registered or not, the child will still be a Malaysian,“ he said.
Azis was responding to a question from Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (PH-Beruas), who asked about the government’s decision regarding children who become stateless from such marriages.
Mohd Azis pointed out that the government is willing to be open in considering citizenship applications from these children, but it is up to their parents to ensure all their documents are in order.
“The government still accepts applications even under such situations, not under Article 14 (of the Federal Constitution), but under Article 15A,“ he said.
Article 14 deals with citizenship by operation of law.
