Foreign Muslims who marry Malaysians of Malay descent do not automatically acquire Malay status or become eligible for Bumiputera rights and privileges.
According to Utusan Malaysia, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said marriage does not change a foreign national’s original ethnicity, adding that the National Registration Department (JPN) does not determine a person’s ethnic status based solely on marriage.
Bumiputera status falls outside JPN’s jurisdiction
He was responding to a question from Labis MP Pang Hok Liong in the Dewan Rakyat who sought clarification on whether foreign Muslims married to Malaysians of Malay descent could be recognised as Bumiputera and enjoy the associated rights and privileges.
“The determination of an individual’s Bumiputera status and their eligibility for related rights or privileges falls outside the jurisdiction of JPN.
“These matters are subject to the laws, policies and requirements set by the relevant agencies or authorities,” he said in a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Parents can choose their child’s registered ethnicity
However, Saifuddin Nasution said parents of children born from legally recognised marriages between foreign Muslims and Malaysians of Malay descent may choose which parent’s ethnicity to register for their child.
The child can be registered as Malay or under the foreign parent’s ethnic background, depending on the parents’ choice.
He added that Bumiputera status and eligibility for related privileges are determined by the relevant laws and requirements set by the authorities, rather than a person’s marital status or religion alone.
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