AMID outrage over misdemeanour of Rohingya refugees in the country, Home Minister Satuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was forced to issue a late clarification yesterday evening (Oct 13) after drawing flak among Malays over the status of foreign Muslims with a Malay spouse and their children.
The acting PKR deputy president went on to stress that marriage between a foreign Muslim citizen and a Malaysian citizen of Malay descent does NOT change the lineage of the foreign citizen to Malay descent.
“Their lineage remains with their original lineage and the National Registration Department (NRD) will not make a determination of lineage for the foreign individual concerned,” he reiterated in a quest to douse outrage over unscrupulous foreigners exploiting legislation loopholes as short-cut to acquiring Bumiputera status.
Nevertheless, the very fact that the couple’s second generation as in their children can be registered as Malays provided they are born from a marriage recognised under Malaysian law remains a sore point to the rightist fraternity who was up in arms with Saifuddin over the matter.
“NRD would not determine the ethnicity of the foreign spouse,” the Home Minister had contended in a parliamentary written reply.
“The determination of whether a person qualified as a Bumiputera and is eligible for the rights or privileges accorded to the group also fell outside the department’s jurisdiction as such matters were subject to the laws, policies and conditions set by the relevant agencies or authorities.”
Saifuddin was responding to a question from Labis MP Pang Hok Liong who asked whether foreign Muslims married to Malaysians of Malay descent could be considered Bumiputera and enjoy the rights and privileges accorded to the group in addition to the conditions involved.
Plundering of Bumiputera wealth
Despite Saifuddin’s clarification, the fact remains that the so-called Bumiputera rights are still up for grabs by the second generation and beyond from a mixed marriage.
“Is it true that by simply selecting Malay ethnicity in the birth certificate, the child is automatically considered eligible to receive all Bumiputera privileges?” jibed Threader AJ Skyler (@aj_skyler__) in a rant.
“If not, what are the actual criteria used by the government? Who determines these qualifications? NRD? The (Home) Ministry? Or does each agency have different criteria? What about children from mixed marriages who were born earlier?
Added the seemingly legally sound poster:
This is about how the rights provided in the Federal Constitution are implemented, who is eligible and how these qualifications are verified.
The people have the right to receive an explanation. Do not just announce that a child can be registered as Malay, then leave the issue of Bumiputera eligibility hanging without a detailed answer.
The registration of a race is one thing. Determining the special eligibility of Bumiputera is another matter. I want the government to clearly explain the difference between them.
Another seemingly pro-opposition Threader called for Saifuddin to be removed as Home Minister.
“The Malays are the largest ethnic group in Malaysia. Malaysia was originally Malaya a.k.a. Tanah Melayu. Why is Saifuddin trying to disturb the Malay race?” fumed @nurilnur2000.
“Little wonder when I saw the second picture, he’s not even of Malay ethnicity (he’s from the Batak Mandaling ancestry of Northern Sumatera in Indonesia).”
Another Threader attributed the proliferation of Rohingyas and Indonesians which led them “to plundering the wealth of indigenous citizens” to “having ministers with such mentality”.
“Please don’t vote for this type of candidates in the next election. Traitors to the country.”
Also calling for Saifuddin to resign, one Zarif (@zarifahi876) added:
“I would personally prefer giving the Bumi status to the Peranakan Chinese (early Chinese immigrants) who lived in Malaysia for multiple generations instead of illegal Rohingya refugees,” she added. – Oct 14, 2026
Main image credit: Ikhwan Razak (@ikhwan_razak88)/Threads
