Malaysia Case Law: Decisions & Judgments

Topic

Deprivation of citizenship

Legal area

Court

13 Mar 2025

1. ) KETUA PENGARAH PENDAFTARAN NEGARA, MALAYSIA 2. ) PENDAFTAR BESAR BAGI KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN, MALAYSIA 3. ) KERAJAAN MALAYSIA QUAH ENG PANG

Citation

K-01(A)-590-11/2023 (Mahkamah Rayuan)
Court

A
Case number

K-01(A)-590-11/2023 (Mahkamah Rayuan)

The Court held the respondent is not a Malaysian citizen by operation of law because she was born illegitimate and, by s.17 Part III Second Schedule, parentage for illegitimate children is the mother who is a Thai national; the respondent failed to discharge the burden of proving citizenship (Regulation 24) and produced no certificate of registration or naturalization, so Articles 26/27 and the Citizenship Rules did not apply; NRD's classification of her as non‑citizen was lawful; the High Court's finding of ultra vires and deprivation of citizenship was set aside.
29 Aug 2024

ABDUL RAHMAN ALAGAPPAN BIN ABDULLAH 1. ) Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) 2. ) Pendaftar Besar Warganegara Malaysia 3. ) Ketua Pengarah Jab. Imigresen Malaysia

Citation

WA-25-409-12/2023 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

WA-25-409-12/2023 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

The application for leave was dismissed as time‑barred under O 53 r 3(6) ROC because the grounds arose decades earlier and no adequate explanation was provided to justify extension of time under O 53 r 3(7); the Special Pass complaint is a collateral attack predicated on the 1997 deprivation order and does not create a fresh right to judicial review; therefore leave is refused and the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the merits.
28 May 2021

1.CTEB 2.CWB 1.Ketua Pengarah Pendaftaran Negara, Malaysia 2.Ketua Setiausaha, Kementerian Dalam Negeri 3.Kerajaan Malaysia

Citation

01(i)-34-10/2019(W) (Mahkamah Persekutuan)
Court

i
Case number

01(i)-34-10/2019(W) (Mahkamah Persekutuan)

The qualification for citizenship by operation of law under Article 14(1)(b) must be satisfied at the time of birth; for an illegitimate child Section 17 of Part III applies to construe parent/father references as the mother, so the child's citizenship follows the mother; subsequent legitimisation by parents' marriage or other statutes cannot alter the birthright criteria in the Constitution; Article 24 deprivation is irrelevant to the threshold question whether citizenship was acquired by operation of law.

Malaysia Case Law

1. ) KETUA PENGARAH PENDAFTARAN NEGARA, MALAYSIA 2. ) PENDAFTAR BESAR BAGI KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN, MALAYSIA 3. ) KERAJAAN MALAYSIA QUAH ENG PANG

ABDUL RAHMAN ALAGAPPAN BIN ABDULLAH 1. ) Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) 2. ) Pendaftar Besar Warganegara Malaysia 3. ) Ketua Pengarah Jab. Imigresen Malaysia

1.CTEB 2.CWB 1.Ketua Pengarah Pendaftaran Negara, Malaysia 2.Ketua Setiausaha, Kementerian Dalam Negeri 3.Kerajaan Malaysia