Homegrown Statelessness in Malaysia
proceedings judge commented that
father should adopt the child even
though child is biological child of
father. Case heading to the Federal
Court.
Case 3: Adopted child with
biological parents being father is
Malaysian citizen and mother
Indonesian. Case going through
courts.
4L
5L
Lawyer doing
work with an
NGO assisting
with stateless
persons.
Lawyer who
was approached
by client with
personal
problem of
stateless child.
Mainly helped stateless
children through
adoption process.
Client came with
family problem. Gives
summary advice. Lot of
cases don’t go forward
after giving advice.
Case 4: 30 year old man whose
father is Malaysian citizen (Indian
descent) and mother unknown.
There is no trace of the mother.
Father raised him but unable to
obtain citizenship despite DNA
evidence.
Case 1: Child was born before
parents were married (Father is
Malaysian citizen of Indian
descent and mother is Indonesian.
Applied for declaration of
legitimacy for child. Forced to
abandon relief of citizenship in
order to get legitimacy. Now
trying to obtain citizenship.
Case 2: Child born before parents
were married (Father is Malaysian
citizen of Indian descent and
mother is Papua New Guinean).
Not reported case. Legitimacy
granted but not citizenship. Relief
for citizenship withdrawn. Now
applying for citizenship through
registration office with declaration
of legitimacy.
Case 1: Abandoned child that was
adopted by Malaysian parents of
Chinese descent. The clinic the
child was adopted from gave the
couple fake adoption papers
unbeknownst to the parents. When
the child applied for his identity
card at the age of 12, found out
stateless. The child’s birth
certificate was deemed fraudulent
and issued new one stating child
not citizen. Child red flagged as
registration office noted that child
did not look Chinese. Decision on
birth certificate was judicially
reviewed successfully. This case
attracted attention of other people
and other clients came forward.
Case 2: Two cases involving two
siblings who are stateless. Adopted
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