Malaysia Case Law: Decisions & Judgments

Topic

Adoption

Legal area

Court

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.
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.
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.
14 Sept 2023

1. ) PING HIOW YEW 2. ) ZHANG XUELIAN 1. ) 1.JABATAN KEBAJIKAN MASYARAKAT 2. ) XXXX

Citation

BB-58-41-08/2023 (Mahkamah Sesyen)
Court

Sessions Court
Case number

BB-58-41-08/2023 (Mahkamah Sesyen)

The Session Court dismissed the application because it was defectively pleaded under an incorrect statutory instrument, procedurally irregular and incomplete, contained material factual inconsistencies (including contradictory affidavits and existence of a Chinese adoption certificate), lacked requisite consent from biological parents and raised residency and jurisdictional issues; further, the recognition of a foreign adoption and related legal questions are substantial and more appropriately determined by the High Court. JKM's objections were justified given its statutory remit to Malaysian…
2 Aug 2023

1. ) OW MAN YAW 2. ) CHANG YON CHAU 3. ) OW CHEE SENG (BELUM DEWASA) (AYAHNYA SEBAGAI WAKIL LITIGASI) 1. ) Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) 2. ) PENDAFTAR BESAR KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA MALAYSIA

Citation

JA-24NCvC-675-07/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)
Court

High Court
Case number

JA-24NCvC-675-07/2022 (Mahkamah Tinggi)

On the evidence the court found credible indicia of collusion and commercial dealing in the child (payment to an agent, delivery outside the stated clinic, inconsistent registration records and the applicant's recorded statement), therefore the child was not established to be 'found exposed' or abandoned for the purposes of s.19B; the statutory presumption did not apply and applicants failed to prove entitlement to citizenship by operation of law under Article14(1)(b); Article15A relief is a discretionary executive power and the court will not substitute its judgment for the Federal Governmen…
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.
1 Jan 1900

1. CHO CHIANG HUAT 2. AW DEY YONG (Memohon untuk pihak mereka sendiri dan sebagai wakil litigasi bagi Cho Yee Meng, seorang kanak-kanak) PENDAFTAR BESAR KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN, MALAYSIA

Citation

W-01(A)-390-08/2019 (Mahkamah Rayuan)
Court

A
Case number

W-01(A)-390-08/2019 (Mahkamah Rayuan)

Adoptive parents are not 'parents' for the purpose of Part II section 1(a) of the Second Schedule; a post-adoption birth certificate under section 25A does not change a child's lineage for constitutional purposes; citizenship under Article 14(1)(b) read with section 1(e) and section 2(3) requires both place of birth (jus soli) and lineage (jus sanguinis) proof, and appellants failed to prove on the balance of probabilities that the child did not acquire any other citizenship within one year, therefore appeal dismissed.

Malaysia Case Law

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

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

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

1. ) PING HIOW YEW 2. ) ZHANG XUELIAN 1. ) 1.JABATAN KEBAJIKAN MASYARAKAT 2. ) XXXX

1. ) OW MAN YAW 2. ) CHANG YON CHAU 3. ) OW CHEE SENG (BELUM DEWASA) (AYAHNYA SEBAGAI WAKIL LITIGASI) 1. ) Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) 2. ) PENDAFTAR BESAR KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA MALAYSIA

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

1. CHO CHIANG HUAT 2. AW DEY YONG (Memohon untuk pihak mereka sendiri dan sebagai wakil litigasi bagi Cho Yee Meng, seorang kanak-kanak) PENDAFTAR BESAR KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN, MALAYSIA