Ministry of Home Affairs

Malaysia Court Denies Citizenship to Children Born Out-of-Wedlock

The Court of Appeal ruled that children born in Malaysia cannot inherit Malaysian citizenship from their unmarried Malaysian fathers when the birth occurred outside a legal marriage, meaning they must follow their non-Malaysian mothers’ nationalities and are not stateless. The decision, chaired by Datuk Azhahari Kamal Ramli, reiterates that citizenship follows the mother’s nationality in these cases, with J and D cited as examples illustrating the broader implications for statelessness and perceived gender discrimination.