Malaysia Case Law: Decisions & Judgments

Topic

Birth registration

Legal area

Court

8 Dec 2025

1. ) B Muniamal Usha a/p V Balakrishnan 2. ) Calvin Joshua a/l Jonny Suresh 1. ) Pengarah Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur 2. ) MENTERI DALAM NEGERI MALAYSIA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

Citation

WA-24-69-07/2024 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

WA-24-69-07/2024 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The court found the 2nd Plaintiff was abandoned at birth and therefore a newborn 'found exposed' within the meaning of s19B Part III; invoking s19B raised a presumption that the child was born of a mother permanently resident in the Federation which, together with birth within the Federation, satisfied s1(a) Part II of the Second Schedule and Article 14(1)(b), and the Defendants failed to rebut that presumption; consequently the 2nd Plaintiff is a Malaysian citizen by operation of law and the court ordered administrative relief to effect that status.
28 Nov 2025

1. ) ALAN KNOWLES 2. ) ALEXANDRA FRANCES MARY KNOWLES 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) MENTERI DALAM NEGERI MALAYSIA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

Citation

WA-24-19-03/2023 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

WA-24-19-03/2023 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

Applicants failed to discharge the burden to prove the child was a newborn found exposed and thus could not invoke the s19B presumption of a mother permanently resident in Malaysia; without that presumption or proof of lineage or statelessness at birth the child does not meet the jus sanguinis requirement in Part II s1(a) or s1(e) of the Second Schedule and therefore is not a Malaysian citizen by operation of law under Article 14(1)(b); the originating summons is dismissed.
23 Oct 2025

MAJLIS AGAMA ISLAM SELANGOR 1. ) NIVETHAH A/P THAMAYANDIRAN 2. ) SWETHA A/P THAMAYANDIRAN

Citation

B-01(NCvC)(A)-100-02/2024 (Mahkamah Rayuan)
Court

NCvC
Case number

B-01(NCvC)(A)-100-02/2024 (Mahkamah Rayuan)

Section 2(1)(b) ARIE 2003 can apply to illegitimate persons but, where illegitimacy prevents ascription of paternity under s111 IFLE 2003, the word "parents" effectively refers to the mother; here the respondents' maternal lineage established their mother and grandmother were Muslims at relevant times, thus respondents were Muslims at birth under s2(1)(b); the reliefs sought in the Civil Court constituted renunciation claims (declarations that they are no longer Muslims) which fall within Syariah Court jurisdiction under Article 121(1A) and ARIE 2003, so the High Court's declarations were mad…
16 Jul 2025

1. ) CHONG KOK WAI 2. ) WEE LEE CHENG 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) MENTERI DALAM NEGERI MALAYSIA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

Citation

BA-24-5-02/2025 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

BA-24-5-02/2025 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The court applied binding Federal Court authority and held that (1) adoption after birth cannot satisfy section 1(a) since at least one parent must be a citizen at the time of birth; and (2) section 1(e) is to be construed narrowly by reference to descent and recognized citizenship at birth, therefore CYH is born an Indonesian citizen by virtue of his mother under Indonesian law notwithstanding practical non-registration; consequently the Originating Summons fails and is 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…
4 Jan 2024

1. ) WONG KOK KIN 2. ) TAN MAY LIAN 3. ) WONG KOK KIN (WAKIL LITIGASI KEPADA TAN FOOK LEONG (BELUM DEWASA)) 1. ) Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) 2. ) PENDAFTAR BESAR KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA MALAYSIA

Citation

NA-24NCvC-9-01/2023 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

NA-24NCvC-9-01/2023 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The court held that the applicants failed to prove lineage or that the child was not a citizen of any other country at birth and failed to establish that the child was a newborn found exposed for s19B to apply; therefore the child is not a Malaysian citizen by operation of law under Article 14(1)(b) read with the relevant provisions of the Second Schedule and the originating claim is dismissed with costs.
14 Nov 2023

1. ) KAM CHOI FOONG 2. ) CHONG AH CHYE 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) MENTERI DALAM NEGERI MALAYSIA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

Citation

WA-24-59-10/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

WA-24-59-10/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The court found the child was not 'found exposed' because the woman who handed the child was known to witnesses and the facts indicated a commercial babysitting arrangement rather than abandonment; therefore s 19B did not apply and s 1(a) failed. The plaintiffs also failed to prove the child 'was not born a citizen of any country' at birth required by s 1(e)/s 2(3). Accordingly both statutory bases for citizenship failed and the application was dismissed.
5 May 2023

CHIEW FOONG SHUANG Ketua Pengarah, Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara

Citation

BA-24NCvC-539-04/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

BA-24NCvC-539-04/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

Plaintiff, as qualified informant, voluntarily provided the surname 'Moo'; s.13A(2) does not compel use of mother's surname; the statutory route for alteration under s.15 expired after one year and s.27 did not apply because there was no clerical or factual error; therefore court must dismiss application to alter the birth certificate.
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.
20 Feb 2023

1. ) LOH AH KEE 2. ) YEW MOOI LENG 3. ) LOH CHAI JIE (BELUM DEWASA) (AYAHNYA SEBAGAI WAKIL LITIGASI) 1. ) kementerian dalam negeri, malaysia 2. ) PENDAFTAR BESAR KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA MALAYSIA

Citation

JA-24NCvC-799-08/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

JA-24NCvC-799-08/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The court held that s.27(3) cannot lawfully be used to revoke a person's citizenship by amending birth records and that P3, a newborn found exposed and abandoned, is presumed born of a mother permanently resident in Malaysia under s.19B; respondents failed to rebut that presumption and therefore P3 is a Malaysian citizen by operation of law under Article 14(1)(b) read with s.1(a) Part II and s.19B Second Schedule; originating summons allowed and reliefs granted.