ASEAN HEADLINES-SOCIAL: PETALING JAYA, Malaysia- Futile Efforts / M’sian women with children born abroad tell of struggle to get them recognised as citizens

PETALING JAYA: Myra Eliza has been trying for years to get the government to recognise her daughter as a Malaysian. However, she always received the same answer whenever she called the Home Ministry to enquire about her application: “Still in the process because of the high number of applicants”.

And they also told her that it could take years.

So when the High Court ruled early this week that children born to Malaysian mothers while abroad were entitled to citizenship, she was overjoyed.

But her happiness was short-lived. The day after the court made its ruling, the Attorney-General’s Chambers announced that the government would file an appeal against the decision.

Myra, who is married to a Zambian, said she has been trying to get citizenship for her daughter, who was born in Zambia, since she was five months old.

Myra said she sent the first application for citizenship for her daughter in April 2014. Two years later, she received news that her application had been rejected.

She reapplied in January 2017 and is still waiting for an answer from the authorities, despite being told earlier that the process would take only two years.