Children of Malay Muslims married to Muslim foreigners can be registered as Malays, says Saifuddin
Malaysia's Home Minister clarified that children of Malay Muslims married to foreign Muslims can be registered as Malays, though foreign spouses do not automatically gain Malay status. The minister emphasized that the National Registration Department does not determine Bumiputera status.
Why it matters
This clarification addresses complex legal and identity issues regarding citizenship, ethnicity, and constitutional rights in Malaysia.
Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said marrying a Malay Muslim will not automatically make the foreign spouse a Malay. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Children of local Malay Muslims married to Muslim foreigners can be registered as Malays, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
"(Alternatively), the children can be registered according to the foreign parent's ancestry," home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said in a written parliamentary reply.
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