Malaysia Case Law: Decisions & Judgments

Topic

Adoption and citizenship

Legal area

Court

6 Nov 2025

1. ) HARI KRSHNAN A/L S.K. PUVANESWARAN 2. ) MEGHANA A/P POOVANESWARAN 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) MENTERI DALAM NEGERI MALAYSIA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

Citation

BA-24-18-07/2025 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

BA-24-18-07/2025 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

Plaintiffs failed to prove the child is a Malaysian citizen by operation of law: the presumption in Section 19B did not apply because the facts indicated a planned surrender rather than a newborn "found exposed" and the identity/status of the biological mother was not established as permanently resident in Malaysia; for an illegitimate child citizenship follows the biological mother and adoption does not convert adoptive parents into the relevant 'parents' under Part II Section 1(a); claim dismissed.
22 Jan 2024

1. ) CHANDRA MORGAN A/L VELUTHAM @ VELAUTHAM 2. ) SHARENE KAM GUAT MEI 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) MENTERI DALAM NEGERI MALAYSIA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

Citation

NA-24-3-11/2021 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

NA-24-3-11/2021 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The court found that Ishaan is not a Malaysian citizen by operation of law under Article 14(1)(b) read with Part II of the Second Schedule because he failed to satisfy the parental nationality/permanent residence requirement and the non-citizenship-by-lineage requirement: the recorded biological mother was an Indonesian non-citizen/temporary resident and unmarried at birth, the biological father was unascertained, adoption does not change status at birth, and the plaintiffs failed to prove on the balance of probabilities that the child was not born a citizen of any country; accordingly the or…
27 Feb 2023

1. ) PHANG FATT MENG 2. ) ONG MAY FONG 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) MENTERI DALAM NEGERI MALAYSIA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

Citation

BA-24-40-09/2020 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

BA-24-40-09/2020 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The Child was found to fall within the meaning of 'found exposed' under Section 19B of the Second Schedule; therefore the Child is presumed born to a mother permanently resident in Malaysia and, having been born within the Federation, is a Malaysian citizen by operation of law under Article 14(1)(b) read with Part II s.1(a) and Part III s.19B; CCH (2022) is binding and applies to children given up for adoption at birth.
21 Feb 2023

1. ) CHONG SIEW THAI 2. ) CHONG LIEN HUAT Pendaftar Besar Kelahiran Dan Kematian Malaysia

Citation

JA-24NCvC-58-01/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

JA-24NCvC-58-01/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

Court found on the evidence that CCY was a newborn found exposed/abandoned, that section 19B presumption applied and Defendant failed to rebut the presumption that the biological mother was permanently resident in Malaysia; therefore CCY acquired Malaysian citizenship by operation of law under Article 14(1)(b) read with s.1(a) Part II Second Schedule and s.19B; adoption order does not itself confer citizenship; procedural objection on intitulement was dismissed.
9 Nov 2022

1. ) LAU TEK PENG 2. ) SING WEI JOO 3. ) LAU JHUN GUAN 1. ) kementerian dalam negeri, malaysia 2. ) PENDAFTAR BESAR KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA MALAYSIA

Citation

JA-24NCvC-363-05/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

JA-24NCvC-363-05/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The Applicants failed to prove on the balance of probabilities that the 3rd Applicant was born in Malaysia to a Malaysian parent or was an abandoned newborn within the meaning of s.19B; false and doubtful particulars in the original birth certificate, lack of corroborating hospital evidence and absence of required reports (police/NRD/Protector) defeated the claims. Adoption does not remedy lack of qualifications at birth. Accordingly the Originating Summons is dismissed.
20 Apr 2022

Huong Sing Mei 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

Citation

WA-24-31-05/2021 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

WA-24-31-05/2021 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The presumption under s19B could not be invoked because the plaintiff failed to establish she was 'found exposed'—there was no affirmative assertion of abandonment nor material in the adoption order to invoke s19B—therefore the s19B presumption that would complete the s1(a) citizenship criteria did not arise and the claim under Article 14(1)(b)/Part II s1(a) fails.
19 Nov 2021

1.CCH 2.ADY PENDAFTAR BESAR BAGI KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN, MALAYSIA

Citation

01(f)-35-11/2020(W) (Mahkamah Persekutuan)
Court

f
Case number

01(f)-35-11/2020(W) (Mahkamah Persekutuan)

A child found abandoned and born within Malaysia is presumed under Second Schedule Part III section 19B to have been born of a mother permanently resident in the place found; that presumption, when applied to a child found in Malaysia, satisfies Part II section 1(a) jus soli/jus sanguinis requirement and therefore the child is a Malaysian citizen by operation of law; the Registrar failed to rebut the presumption and unlawfully registered the child as non-citizen.

Malaysia Case Law

1. ) HARI KRSHNAN A/L S.K. PUVANESWARAN 2. ) MEGHANA A/P POOVANESWARAN 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) MENTERI DALAM NEGERI MALAYSIA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

1. ) CHANDRA MORGAN A/L VELUTHAM @ VELAUTHAM 2. ) SHARENE KAM GUAT MEI 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) MENTERI DALAM NEGERI MALAYSIA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

1. ) PHANG FATT MENG 2. ) ONG MAY FONG 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) MENTERI DALAM NEGERI MALAYSIA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

1. ) CHONG SIEW THAI 2. ) CHONG LIEN HUAT Pendaftar Besar Kelahiran Dan Kematian Malaysia

1. ) LAU TEK PENG 2. ) SING WEI JOO 3. ) LAU JHUN GUAN 1. ) kementerian dalam negeri, malaysia 2. ) PENDAFTAR BESAR KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA MALAYSIA

Huong Sing Mei 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

1.CCH 2.ADY PENDAFTAR BESAR BAGI KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN, MALAYSIA