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Melissa Upreti and Dorothy Estrada Tanck, who head the UN working group, said that the ruling contravened Malaysia’s obligations under international law.
They urged the government to interpret provisions on citizenship without discrimination based on descent, place of birth or gender in any law.
They expressed regret over the government’s decision to appeal a ruling by the High Court last year which had said that provisions of the Federal Constitution referring to the father could be extended to mean the mother.
The Court of Appeal overturned the High Court decision and held that it was up to Parliament to change the law.
Upreti and Tanck expressed concerns that Malaysian women are not granted equal citizenship rights for their overseas-born children.
“The right to citizenship is a cornerstone for the enjoyment of other rights,” they said, criticising the patriarchal values that left women and their children exposed to harm and further discrimination.
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