Malaysia’s human rights commission look to block citizenship law changes

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) is seeking royal support to block new citizenship laws that could increase statelessness. Proposed amendments include removing automatic citizenship for children of permanent residents born in the country and not retrospectively conferring citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian mothers. Critics argue these changes could severely impact stateless individuals, complicating their access to education, healthcare, and employment.

For the recruitment market in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, these changes could lead to a larger pool of individuals without proper documentation, complicating their employment prospects and increasing the burden on companies to navigate complex legal and bureaucratic hurdles. This could also deter foreign talent from considering Malaysia as a viable work destination.