Cabinet today should accept the High Court decision on automatic citizenship for overseas-born children of Malaysian mothers and foreign fathers and direct the Attorney-General to withdraw any appeal

There is no need for the Cabinet to deliberate on the issue of Malaysian mothers whose children were born abroad as a result of marriage to foreigners.

What the Cabinet should do is to accept the High Court decision on automatic citizenship for overseas-born children of Malaysian mothers and foreign fathers and direct the Attorney-General to withdraw the appeal.

Whether the government amends the Constitution is a separate issue and must not be confused with the government’s commitment to uphold the rule of law and to respect the human rights of Malaysians.

There is nothing to say that the government must amend the Constitution if it is to accept the High Court decision that children born overseas to Malaysian mothers are entitled to citizenship by operation of law.

All it needs is humility that the government can be wrong.

This is the time for the Cabinet Ministers to show their mettle – whether they are policy-makers or just yes-men and yes-women.