Malaysian nationality law details the conditions by which a person is a citizen of Malaysia. The primary law governing nationality requirements is the Constitution of Malaysia, which came into force on 31 August 1957.
All persons born in Malaysia between 31 August 1957 and 1 October 1962 automatically received citizenship by birth regardless of the nationalities of their parents. Individuals born in the country since that date receive Malaysian citizenship at birth if at least one of their parents is a citizen. Foreign nationals may become Malaysian citizens by naturalisation after residing in the country for at least 10 years, renouncing any previous nationalities, and showing proficiency in the Malay language. Malaysia is composed of several former British colonies and protectorates acquired in the 18th and 19th centuries whose residents were British subjects and British protected persons. After the federation of its western states in 1948, the country became independent in 1957.
While Malaysian citizens no longer hold British nationality, they continue to hold favoured status when residing in the United Kingdom; as Commonwealth citizens, Malaysians are eligible to vote in UK elections and serve in public office there. However, restrictions in Malaysian law on exercising citizenship rights in a foreign country would result in the loss of Malaysian citizenship, effectively negating these entitlements. Holding another nationality while being a Malaysian citizen over the age of 21 is disallowed, and a Malaysian citizen risks losing their citizenship if they acquire another nationality.
History Britain first established a foothold on the Malay Peninsula with the settlement of Penang in 1786. Over the course of the 18th century, the British presence expanded throughout the region. British Malaya was broadly divided into three political groupings: the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States, and the Unfederated Malay States. The Straits Settlements were directly administered by the British government while the Malay states were areas ruled by local monarchs given limited autonomy in exchange for accepting British suzerainty. Residents of the Straits Settlements were British subjects, but subjects of the Malay state rulers were considered British protected persons instead.
Although Britain had jurisdiction in all three types of holdings, domestic law treated the Malay states as foreign territory. British protected persons were treated as aliens in the United Kingdom, but both Malay British subjects and protected persons could be issued British passports. Protected persons could not travel to the UK without first requesting permission, but were afforded the same consular protection as British subjects when travelling outside of the Empire. A person with connections both to directly governed portions of British Malaya and one of the Malay states could be a British subject and British protected person simultaneously.
Until 1867, the Straits Settlements were governed as part of British India. Legislation enacted in India prior to that year was applicable locally, including regulations on naturalisation. The Indian Naturalisation Act 1852 allowed foreigners residing in territory governed by the East India Company to naturalise as British subjects by application to the government. There was no minimum residence requirement and candidates simply needed approval from a relevant official. The oath of allegiance administered to successful applicants required them to swear loyal service to the company, as well as allegiance to the British monarch. After separation from India, the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements passed the Naturalization Act, 1867 that contained virtually the same naturalisation requirements. Any person born in the Straits Settlements, the United Kingdom, or anywhere else within Crown dominions was a natural-born British subject.
Following the Second World War, colonial authorities merged the Malay states with Penang and Malacca to form the Malayan Union in 1946. A federal Malayan citizenship was created at its inception, although the union lasted only two years before reforming into the Federation of Malaya. Malayan citizenship existed simultaneously with the subject statuses of the individual Malay states and British nationality in the Straits Settlements. Federal, state, and British regulations for obtaining these statuses differed and this multilayered approach to citizenship continued until Malayan independence in 1957.
Penang and Malacca Several early independence acts did not contain any provision for the loss of citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies by citizens of the newly independent states. A notable case is that of the former Settlements (colonies) of Penang and Malacca in what is now Malaysia. These were combined in 1948 with the nine Malay states (which were protected states rather than colonies) to form the Federation of Malaya. On independence on 31 August 1957, British protected persons (BPP) from the Malay states lost their BPP status. However, as a result of representations made by the Straits Chinese, known as the "Queen's Chinese", it was agreed by the Governments of the United Kingdom and Malaya that no provision should be made for the withdrawal of Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) status from the inhabitants of Penang and Malacca, who would consequently be allowed to remain CUKCs as well as citizens of Malaya.Hansard, HC Deb 13 November 1972. vol. 846, cc. 24-5W
On 16 September 1963, the colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore were joined with Malaya to form Malaysia (Singapore subsequently left Malaysia in 1965). CUKC was withdrawn from those acquiring Malaysian citizenship in 1963, but this did not affect existing citizens of the Federation.
Hence, persons connected with Penang and Malacca prior to 31 August 1957, together with those born before 1983 in legitimate descent to fathers so connected, form the largest group of British Overseas citizens (estimated at over 1 million). Most also hold Malaysian citizenship.
Acquisition and loss of citizenship
Entitlement by birth or descent (Citizenship by operation of law) All persons born in Malaysia between 31 August 1957 and 30 September 1962 automatically received citizenship by birth regardless of the nationalities of their parents. Individuals born in the country on and after 1 October 1962 receive Malaysian citizenship at birth if at least one parent is a citizen and both parents are legally married to each other at the time of birth.
Prior to an amendment to the Constitution in 2024, children born in wedlock overseas are eligible to become Malaysian citizens by descent only if the father is a citizen. The birth of eligible persons must be registered at a Malaysian diplomatic mission within one year after birth for citizenship to be granted. Individuals born overseas to a Malaysian mother and a foreign father can only apply for citizenship by registration under Article 15(2), Article 15A, or by naturalisation, which is subjected to government approval and does not guarantee successful application.
The amendment now allows for either parent to be Malaysian for the child to be given citizenship automatically, but they are given a time limit of one year to register themselves. The amendment is not retrospective however and does not apply to those born before its passing. It also requires those obtaining citizenship this way to take an oath of citizenship when they turn 18.
Persons born to unmarried parents by default inherit their mother's citizenship. A child of a Malaysian father and non-citizen mother who are not married or whose marriage is not recognised in Malaysian law cannot acquire citizenship by descent. However, they may apply for citizenship by registration subject to the government's discretionary approval.
Voluntary acquisition (Citizenship by registration or naturalisation) Foreign women who marry Malaysian men may also register as citizens after living in the country for at least two years with the intention of permanently settling in Malaysia. All other foreigners (including non-citizen husbands of Malaysian women) may become Malaysian citizens by naturalisation after residing in the country for at least 10 years, 12 months of which must be continuous residence immediately preceding their applications. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in the Malay language and intend to reside in the country permanently. Anyone acquiring Malaysian citizenship through naturalisation or registration must renounce any previous nationalities.
Approvals for naturalisation and registration are given at the government's discretion. Applications are frequently rejected with no stated reasons and no process exists to appeal these decisions. Out of 4,029 citizenship applications between 2000 and 2009, only 1,806 were successful.
Relinquishment and deprivation Malaysian citizenship can be relinquished by making a declaration of renunciation, while any Malaysian citizen who voluntarily acquire a foreign nationality will automatically have their citizenship revoked. For naturalised citizens, if they reside overseas for more than five years and have not annually registered at a Malaysian diplomatic mission to retain citizenship (other than those employed in the civil service), their citizenship may be deprived by the government. Naturalised citizens may also be stripped of citizenship for: committing an act of disloyalty against the state, aiding an enemy nation with which Malaysia is at war, being sentenced to incarceration for longer than 12 months in any jurisdiction, serving in any capacity for a foreign government, or being fined RM5,000 for any offence within five years of acquiring citizenship.
While holding multiple nationalities by birth is not technically prohibited by Malaysian law, a person who exercises any rights derived from those alternative statuses would be stripped of their Malaysian citizenship. This includes voting in elections or applying for passports in any jurisdiction outside Malaysia. Children who were registered as Malaysian citizens may also be deprived of their citizenship if a parent voluntarily renounces or is stripped of their citizenship.
However, under Article 23(2), citizens are not allowed to renounce their citizenship during times of war, unless they acquire the approval of the Federal Government of Malaysia.
Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024
Children born overseas to Malaysian mothers Prior to the amendment, Malaysia is one of 25 countries that does not give mothers and fathers equal rights under the country's citizenship law. Children born outside Malaysia to a Malaysian mother and a foreign national father are not entitled to automatic citizenship as citizen by operation of law under Article 14 and Part II of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, while children born overseas to a Malaysian father enjoy automatic citizenship under the same aforesaid provisions.
A landmark ruling by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on 9 September 2021 ruled that Malaysian mothers to pass their citizenship to their children born overseas – a privilege previously only granted to fathers. The judge ruled that the word "father" in the Federal Constitution shall also be interpreted to include the meaning of "mother", and be read harmoniously with Article 8 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and prohibit discrimination based on gender. The change would help ease access to residency, education and healthcare for families. It was hailed by activists as a giant step toward gender equality.