Citizenship
5 cases · November 2024 to January 2026
Case Volume by Year
1 24
3 25
1 26
2024–2026
Key Issues & Sub-Topics
Federal Constitution art 14(1)(b) — Child’s citizenship by operation of law — Whether change of surname affects citizenship status — Construction of “father” as biological father 1 Operation of law — Perkara 14(1)(b) Perlembagaan Persekutuan — Jadual Kedua Bahagian II — Seksyen 17 Jadual Kedua — Anak luar nikah — Kewarganegaraan ibu — Perkahwinan lewat daftar — Status tidak sah taraf — Foundling dan stateless child distinguished — Bidang kuasa Mahkamah — Deklarasi kewarganegaraan — Preliminary objection — Ketidaksesuian Saman Pemula — Kos. Prosedur sivil — Bantahan awal — Saman Pemula — Kegagalan mengintitulekan prosiding — Kegagalan menyatakan peruntukan undang-undang — Bidang kuasa Mahkamah — Kecacatan fatal — Prosiding diketepikan 1 Operation of law — Art 14(1)(b) FC — Second Schedule Pt II ss 1(a), 1(e) — Jus soli & jus sanguinis — Requirement to prove parental citizenship — Identity of biological parents unknown — Whether plaintiff discharged burden — Held, not satisfied. 1 “Not born a citizen of any country” — Meaning — Determination at time of birth — Necessity to prove lineage — Failure to establish biological parentage — Claim under s 1(e) fails — Lim Jen Hsian & Anor v Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara; CTEB & Anor v Ketua Pengarah Pendaftaran Negara, Malaysia applied. 1 Foundling — Presumption under s 19B Pt III Second Schedule — “Newborn child found exposed” — Whether includes child voluntarily handed over by mother — Child given up for adoption at four months — Not abandonment — Presumption inapplicable — CCH & Anor v Pendaftar Besar Bagi Kelahiran dan Kematian Malaysia distinguished. 1 Operation of law — Respondent born in Malaysia to a Malaysian biological father and a Thai mother — Parents not legally married at the time of birth — Whether respondent is an illegitimate child — Interpretation of Article 14(1)(b) read with Section 1(a), Part II of the Second Schedule and Section 17, Part III of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution — Principle of jus sanguinis — Whether citizenship of an illegitimate child follows the mother — Binding effect of the Federal Court decision in Chan Tai Ern Bermillo [2021]. National Registration — Identity Card (NRIC) — Replacement of lost NRIC — Investigation by National Registration Department (NRD) into citizenship status — Cancellation of NRIC and issuance of a new birth certificate reflecting non-citizen status — Whether the NRD acted ultra vires — Burden of proving the truth of NRIC contents — Regulation 24 of the National Registration Regulations 1990 — Whether a MyKad/NRIC is conclusive proof of citizenship status. Deprivation of citizenship — Procedure for deprivation — Articles 26 and 27 of the Federal Constitution — Citizenship Rules 1964 — Whether deprivation procedures apply to a person who never qualified for citizenship by operation of law or registration — Distinction between revocation of an improperly issued document and deprivation of validly acquired citizenship. Burden of proof — Citizenship status — Burden on the applicant to prove the truth of the contents of an identity card under Regulation 24 of the National Registration Regulations 1990 — Failure to provide documentary evidence of citizenship by registration — Application of Sections 101, 102, and 103 of the Evidence Act 1950. "Parents" — "Father" — Interpretation in the context of illegitimate children under Section 17, Part III of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution — "Warganegara" status on NRIC — "Citizenship by operation of law". 1 Plaintiff was found abandoned as a new born child at Chow Kit market, Kuala Lumpur — Whether plaintiff is entitled to citizenship by operation of law — Article 14(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution — Paragraphs 1(a) and 1(e) Section 1 Part II Second Schedule — Jus soli and jus sanguinis — Section 19B Part III Second Schedule — Whether plaintiff is presumed to have been born of a mother permanently resident in Malaysia. 1
Federal Constitution art 14(1)(b) — Child’s citizenship by operation of law — Whether change of surname affects citizenship status — Construction of “father” as biological father 1 case
Operation of law — Perkara 14(1)(b) Perlembagaan Persekutuan — Jadual Kedua Bahagian II — Seksyen 17 Jadual Kedua — Anak luar nikah — Kewarganegaraan ibu — Perkahwinan lewat daftar — Status tidak sah taraf — Foundling dan stateless child distinguished — Bidang kuasa Mahkamah — Deklarasi kewarganegaraan — Preliminary objection — Ketidaksesuian Saman Pemula — Kos. Prosedur sivil — Bantahan awal — Saman Pemula — Kegagalan mengintitulekan prosiding — Kegagalan menyatakan peruntukan undang-undang — Bidang kuasa Mahkamah — Kecacatan fatal — Prosiding diketepikan 1 case
Operation of law — Art 14(1)(b) FC — Second Schedule Pt II ss 1(a), 1(e) — Jus soli & jus sanguinis — Requirement to prove parental citizenship — Identity of biological parents unknown — Whether plaintiff discharged burden — Held, not satisfied. 1 case
“Not born a citizen of any country” — Meaning — Determination at time of birth — Necessity to prove lineage — Failure to establish biological parentage — Claim under s 1(e) fails — Lim Jen Hsian & Anor v Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara; CTEB & Anor v Ketua Pengarah Pendaftaran Negara, Malaysia applied. 1 case
Foundling — Presumption under s 19B Pt III Second Schedule — “Newborn child found exposed” — Whether includes child voluntarily handed over by mother — Child given up for adoption at four months — Not abandonment — Presumption inapplicable — CCH & Anor v Pendaftar Besar Bagi Kelahiran dan Kematian Malaysia distinguished. 1 case
Operation of law — Respondent born in Malaysia to a Malaysian biological father and a Thai mother — Parents not legally married at the time of birth — Whether respondent is an illegitimate child — Interpretation of Article 14(1)(b) read with Section 1(a), Part II of the Second Schedule and Section 17, Part III of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution — Principle of jus sanguinis — Whether citizenship of an illegitimate child follows the mother — Binding effect of the Federal Court decision in Chan Tai Ern Bermillo [2021]. National Registration — Identity Card (NRIC) — Replacement of lost NRIC — Investigation by National Registration Department (NRD) into citizenship status — Cancellation of NRIC and issuance of a new birth certificate reflecting non-citizen status — Whether the NRD acted ultra vires — Burden of proving the truth of NRIC contents — Regulation 24 of the National Registration Regulations 1990 — Whether a MyKad/NRIC is conclusive proof of citizenship status. Deprivation of citizenship — Procedure for deprivation — Articles 26 and 27 of the Federal Constitution — Citizenship Rules 1964 — Whether deprivation procedures apply to a person who never qualified for citizenship by operation of law or registration — Distinction between revocation of an improperly issued document and deprivation of validly acquired citizenship. Burden of proof — Citizenship status — Burden on the applicant to prove the truth of the contents of an identity card under Regulation 24 of the National Registration Regulations 1990 — Failure to provide documentary evidence of citizenship by registration — Application of Sections 101, 102, and 103 of the Evidence Act 1950. "Parents" — "Father" — Interpretation in the context of illegitimate children under Section 17, Part III of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution — "Warganegara" status on NRIC — "Citizenship by operation of law". 1 case
Plaintiff was found abandoned as a new born child at Chow Kit market, Kuala Lumpur — Whether plaintiff is entitled to citizenship by operation of law — Article 14(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution — Paragraphs 1(a) and 1(e) Section 1 Part II Second Schedule — Jus soli and jus sanguinis — Section 19B Part III Second Schedule — Whether plaintiff is presumed to have been born of a mother permanently resident in Malaysia. 1 case
Key Statutes
Federal Constitution
cited in 3 cases Evidence Act 1950 (Cap 56)
cited in 2 cases Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957
cited in 1 case Court Distribution
Key People & Firms
Top Judges
Top Firms
Cases
wa-24ncvc-2776-07-2024
1. ) KOH MING FAI 2. ) LIANG HUAMEI v KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA
13 January 2026
MYHC
ja-24ncvc-83-01-2025
DANG THI VAN v 1. ) kementerian dalam negeri, malaysia 2. ) Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN)
26 November 2025
MYHC
p-01ncvca-500-09-2023
OOI THYE PiNG v 1. ) PENDAFTAR BESAR KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA MALAYSIA 2. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 3. ) Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri 4. ) Kerajaan Malaysia
9 November 2025
MYCOA
k-01a-590-11-2023
1. ) KETUA PENGARAH PENDAFTARAN NEGARA, MALAYSIA 2. ) PENDAFTAR BESAR BAGI KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN, MALAYSIA 3. ) KERAJAAN MALAYSIA v QUAH ENG PANG
12 March 2025
MYCOA
pa-24ncvc-443-04-2024
MOHD RAZWIL BIN ABDULLAH v 1. ) PENDAFTAR BESAR KELAHIRAN DAN KEMATIAN JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA MALAYSIA 2. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia
13 November 2024
MYHC