Proposed citizenship amendments: Government to explain to backbenchers - PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will explain to the backbenchers the proposed constitutional amendments in granting citizenship, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said this was because the proposed amendments had been presented to the Conference Of Rulers.

"There is a limit to what we can do. After the discussions, any constitutional amendment in the issue of citizenship have to be cleared with the Conference of Rulers.

"So the Rulers Conference have taken a certain position and we will have to honour it. We need to explain to the backbenchers," he told reporters after officiating the Malaysia Digital Expo 2023 Grand Finale at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) here today.

A few backbenchers, including Ipoh Timur Member of Parliament Howard Lee, had been sharing on social media their unhappiness over the proposed amendments.

In the proposed constitutional amendments, the Malaysian Government plans to table amendments that would solve the citizenship problems plaguing the overseas-born children of Malaysian women with foreign husbands.

When asked about Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul's idea to publish the names of Members of Parliament who did not attend Parliamentary sittings, Anwar said he would leave it to the discretion of the Speaker.

In another development, the Prime Minister reminded all parties not to politicise the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, let alone mislead the public to gain political mileage, especially in matters relating to humanitarian aid.

He said the Malaysian Government has already made several decisions on this matter and Malaysia is among the countries that have obtained fast approval and access to the (Egypt-Gaza) border to send humanitarian aid to Palestine.

Anwar said it was just that certain matters or actions taken by the government cannot be disclosed for certain reasons, and hence, not appropriate to be politicised.

-- BERNAMA