PUTRAJAYA: The government has agreed to drop two proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution pertaining to the citizenship of foundlings.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said other proposed amendments related to citizenship laws will be tabled.
"The Cabinet has discussed the citizenship law amendments and we have given our input after an intensive engagement session with all stakeholders.
"We have considered all responses and the Prime Minister himself has discussed with the component party leaders in the unity government and chief whips.
"I have presented to the Cabinet and all of the amendments were approved except on Section 19B and Section 14(1)(e)," he said after a post-cabinet meeting press conference, here, today.
The proposed amendment under Section 19B of Part III of Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution would have involved an amendment of citizenship by "operation of law" to citizenship by "registration."
The proposed amendment under Section 1(e), Part II of Second Schedule read together with Article 14 was also related to the above changes.
This means that foundlings and abandoned children will no longer be entitled to automatic citizenship.
This, in effect would leave vulnerable and affected individuals — such as children born out of wedlock, adopted and abandoned stateless children; and indigenous communities — will no longer be constitutionally protected against statelessness.
The two proposed amendments had since received criticisms from non-governmental organisations citing it is regressive.
Saifuddin said he will meet government backbenchers on Monday to brief them on the proposed amendments.
He added that the Cabinet had reminded the Home Ministry to implement the amendments thoroughly should it be passed in Parliament so that the public would not have to wait a long time after their citizenship application.
Yesterday, Saifuddin denied that proposed amendments would not affect foundlings from being granted citizenship, so long as their births were registered properly.
He said should a child's citizenship application be denied under Section 19B, another application can be made under Section 15A of the Federal Constitution.