Homegrown Statelessness in Malaysia
2PL
Previously an
MP and now
runs social
services through
state funded
organisation.
LAWYERS
1L
Public interest
lawyer for an
NGO.
persons to me to
interview.
Assists persons in
catchment area in
citizenship applications
in Kuala Selangor.
Traveled to Sarawak to
assist 150 Iban people
to obtain identity cards.
Stateless cases come
through community and
political referrals.
Case 1: Thai woman married a
Malaysian man. At time of birth of
child, parents were not married.
Subsequently mother left. Applied
for citizenship but courts say
citizenship follows mother if
parents not married. At Federal
Court now.
Case 2: Three generations of
stateless persons: grandmother,
daughter and grandchildren.
Grandfather dead. Settled outside
of court after judge placed pressure
on Attorney General to.
Case 3: Parents are Malaysian
(Indian descent) but children were
born in India. Parents registered
children late at the Embassy of
Malaysia in India. The government
challenged issue of citizenship all
the way.
Case 4: Child was abandoned and
adopted by a family. Family
engaged in an unofficial adoption
and obtained fake papers. There
was no information as to where the
child came from. Adoption had to
be done properly but citizenship
not given in new birth certificate.
Going through courts now.
Case 5: Person born preindependence by parents who have
Malaysian citizenship but birth
was not registered.
2L
Family law
specialist that
had clients
seeking to adopt
stateless
persons.
Clients asking for help
to adopt or resolve
citizenship issue. Also
gives summary advice.
In one case, had to
advise and advocate to
foreign embassies as to
why a child does not
have any
documentation and why
the child should still
129
Case 1: Father was Malaysian and
mother Thai. They had a
customary marriage in Thailand
but it was not legal anywhere.
Mother disappeared and father
came to lawyer to obtain legal
rights over the child. Even though
child was biological, proceeded to
help father adopt child. When new
birth certificate issued, child was
stateless. Decision on birth